


Strictly Business

by howlingshame



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Also plot, Alternate Universe - Lawyers, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Armitage Hux is Not Nice, Belting, Ben Organa Has a Very Bad Time Part 2, Boss/Employee Relationship, Drugging, Dubious Consent, Emotional Manipulation, Explicit Sexual Content, Hey let's give Hux a motivation besides just being an utter bastard, Hux has some feelings but mostly he's just a dick, Hux's family, Implied Ben/Other Character, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Power Imbalance, Praise Kink, Sexual Coercion, Tags for Chapter 11 Specifically:, Threats of Violence, Unhealthy Relationships, Very Unhealthy Relationship Fellas I Ain't Playing Around, sex as manipulation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:42:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 103,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27312091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/howlingshame/pseuds/howlingshame
Summary: Modern AU. Ben Organa is a paralegal at Armitage Hux's corporate law firm. When his performance starts to suffer from overwork, Hux takes him on to be his personal assistant as a special project. Hux pulls him into a manipulative relationship on his own terms, certainly not Ben's. Ben is drawn further into Hux's life, learning about his family and secrets best left buried. As Hux's emotional hold on him deepens, Ben struggles to keep his head above water, even as he starts to wonder if Hux truly cares for him or not, and whether Hux's attention is worth the high cost.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren
Comments: 182
Kudos: 171





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Blanket warning for the whole fic: If you read my previous story, you know the deal, but if you're new here, let me give you the rundown. This story depicts a very unhealthy relationship with a deep power imbalance due to the boss/employee dynamic. Hux does not take into account Ben's limits, and actively ignores them at certain points. He takes advantage of Ben's emotional weak spots for his own end. Ben is interested in Hux romantically, but he is manipulated in many ways. Read the tags, make sure you're alright with that before you proceed. Their relationship starts bad, gets worse. This is in no way a sweet romance.
> 
> If that makes you uncomfortable, you probably want to sit this one out.
> 
> However, if that intrigues you, welcome! Glad to have you.

Ben’s boss was a fucking _asshole_. He’d been kept after work nearly every night this week filing briefs that could have been done anytime. They weren’t even time-sensitive, but he had to be in the trenches up to his elbows filing paperwork that was so dense with tables and numbers and graphs it made his head spin.

His job had always required a lot of extra work on the side, long hours without pay, but this was above and beyond. In the past month, two of Ben’s fellow paralegals had quit, and he was starting to think he was for some reason being punished for it through no fault of his own, having to do the work of three.

“It’s just, like, how long does it fucking take to hire a new paralegal? Just one would do it. I’m not asking for much here, just a little relief. It’s torture, is what it is. It’s immoral.” Ben complained over drinks with his friends Rey, Finn, and Poe. Or, to be more accurate, his friend Rey and her friends Finn and Poe. They were packed like sardines into their favorite dive bar, staking out their usual table and on their third round. It was Friday night, and the place was hopping.

Poe groaned loudly enough to be heard over the music. “It’s torture to have to listen to you bitch about the same thing week in and week out. If it’s as bad as you say, just quit! Come work retail like the rest of us plebeians. Promise you’ll be happier.” Poe worked as a bartender, bouncer, and part-time DJ at some hole-in-the-wall music venue downtown.

Ben shook his head. “No, I can’t do that.” He’d staked it all on this job; financially and, he had to admit, emotionally. If he quit, he’d have to move out of his swanky high-rise he couldn’t really afford and room back in with Rey and Poe in their cramped apartment.

Besides that, he’d made kind of an idiot of himself when he left home, telling his parents he was really going to make something of himself, they’d see. Quitting his job at the law firm would feel too much like giving up, like failure. He had a lot to prove, mostly to himself. If he couldn’t make it in this cutthroat town, he wouldn’t be able to look at himself in the mirror.

“Then here’s a crazy idea. Why don’t you just _ask_ if they’re going to hire somebody else? Tell them you’re overworked!” Rey threw out, one arm around Finn and one around Poe. They had some strange sort of thruple situation going on that they’d tried to explain to him many times, but he couldn’t quite understand how it worked. That had been one of the reasons he’d moved out of their apartment. There wasn’t anything quite like being a fourth wheel to his friends’ very complicated love life.

“I guess I could…” Ben said doubtfully. “I don’t know… they’re kind of… intense…”

Technically, he had three bosses. Snoke, Phasma, and Hux were all partners in the firm where he was employed, and if he was being honest, they intimidated him. He generally did his best to stay out of their way and do the best he could. He wanted them to be impressed with him, but the threshold for mistakes was very low. In his first week, a woman was fired for forgetting to order toner for the printer.

“Please, what are they going to do if you just ask a question?” Finn asked, draining his drink. Finn had a series of odd jobs that seemed to change every other week, but spent most of his time as a grassroots organizer for various causes, each more noble than the last. He’d never said so, but Ben always got the idea that Finn thought he’d sold out by working for the corporate bloodsuckers he hated so much.

“Yeah, I guess you have a point…” Ben trailed off.

Rey patted him on the shoulder. Her cheeks were red, and it was clear she was already over the line into drunk. “Just do it, Ben. Speak up for yourself. Make your life easier. What’s the worst that could happen?”

By next week, Ben had completely forgotten about his halfhearted agreement to speak up. Complaining in the safety of your circle of friends was one thing, but actually telling your boss that you had a problem was another thing. His plan was to just continue suffering in silence, as unpleasant as it was.

That was until four new clients’ caseloads were dumped on him the next week. He had to do research into all the cases, make calls all over town to make things happen, manage the billing, and maintain the piles and piles of duplicate and triplicate paperwork that made his job such a nightmare. He nominally had two other people on the team with him doing the work, but they were similarly busy with other clients and other attorneys that Ben couldn’t reasonably ask them to pick up any more of the slack. They were just doing the best they could, same as him.

It was all coming to a head on Wednesday when Ben remembered the weekly attorney’s meeting that he was supposed to attend to deliver the progress reports and take notes on next steps. He was elbow-deep in county property records for a client who was trying to justify the expansion of his penthouse apartment into the vacant apartments next to his when he glanced at the clock and noticed it was 2:58 pm. The meeting was at 3 o’clock, and he hadn’t even printed out the papers he needed yet. Slamming into panic mode, Ben gathered everything he needed into case files and took the stairs three at a time up to the executive levels instead of waiting for the crowded elevator.

He was just slowing down and trying to make it seem like he wasn’t out of breath when he glanced at the clock outside of the conference room and cringed. It was 3:06. He was late.

Ben opened the conference room door as quietly as he could, somehow hoping beyond all hope that they wouldn’t notice if he did it quietly enough. He slipped into the room and went to his seat.

The partners were all sitting around a sleek wooden table in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows on a conference call with one of their clients, the CEO of some electronics company. Snoke was an older, grizzled man who’d shaved his hair to get ahead of the male-pattern baldness that all the money in the world couldn’t do anything about. He had a wedding ring, but was the kind of man who would talk openly of his affairs in the office, arrogantly knowing nobody would say anything about it.

Phasma looked more like an Olympic bodybuilder than an executive. She wore charcoal-gray suits with the top button undone, and short platinum-blonde hair that stuck close to her scalp like a helmet. She had a perpetual sneer on her face, and seemed like she ate men for breakfast.

Hux was a little younger than the other two, but no less intimidating. He had slicked-back ginger hair and just the tiniest hint of an Irish accent that Ben couldn’t help finding entrancing. He was always dressed to the nines in perfectly-tailored suits no matter the time of day, and even had matching bone-white cufflinks to go with the set. He spoke less than the other partners, but when he did, he made it count. He had a nasty talent of cutting someone down to size with only a few words, and there was a steely undercurrent to everything he said.

As Ben snuck to his seat, Hux looked up at him, raised one eyebrow and tapped his watch. _You’re late_ , his flat gaze said.

Ben made an apologetic face and slunk into his chair, trying to spread out his notes and files on the table as quietly as possible while the partners finished up the call. He spent the next few minutes trying to slow his galloping heartbeat and get himself in more of a meeting frame of mind.

Finally, they wrapped up the call. Snoke hung up the phone and turned to Ben, frowning. “You’re late.” He snapped.

“Sorry, sir, I lost track of time, and I was looking into property lines for the Broderson case and-” Ben started rambling, one of his worst tendencies when he was nervous, but one of the harder ones to stop.

Snoke cut him off. “I don’t want to hear excuses. Just don’t let there be a next time, or there won’t be a third.”

Ben flushed and nodded. After that, the meeting proceeded as scheduled. Ben dutifully took notes and tried to stay unnoticed. He just allowed the talk from the three attorneys to flow over his head as he tried to keep up, offering up statistics when asked, but otherwise making his hand cramp up by taking notes so quickly. There was something magnetic about the way they talked, the self-assured way they proceeded with business, the cool knowledge that there was nothing truly standing in their way. Ben watched Hux rattle off the exact wording of some obscure statute that would allow them to use a loophole to get their client exactly what they wanted, and he did this all off the top of his head. Ben was fascinated.

As the meeting was wrapping up, Ben slid the case files he’d been asked to compile across the table to the three of them and started to pack up. He was already thinking about the piles of work he still had waiting on his desk. He’d probably have to stay late, again. He was composing his apology text to Rey in his head for having to cancel on movie night when he was interrupted from his thoughts.

Hux was standing at the table, leafing through the case file he’d been handed, posture straight and assured. “Organa, I’m missing the phone records from March in this folder.”

Ben started frantically searching through the papers in front of him, already knowing they weren’t in there. “Oh, I’m sorry, sir, I thought for sure I’d put them in there. I can get them to you by the end of the day.”

Hux snapped the file closed with a quick motion and looked up at him, unimpressed. “You’ll get them to me immediately following this meeting.”

Ben swallowed nervously and averted his eyes. “Yeah, okay. Of course.”

He was really hoping he was going to be let off the hook, but found Phasma was looking at him too. “This isn’t the first time this has happened, either. I seem to remember you forgot to send off a few emails to clients last week. This is becoming a pattern.”

Ben’s throat started to close up. He fully recognized that these were things said to someone shortly before they were let go. He remembered the advice he’d gotten from his friends and decided to just take the plunge. He was already failing dismally at this job. It couldn’t get any worse.

He took a deep breath. “Um, if – if I could speak freely?”

Hux and Phasma’s faces were stone. Ben forced himself to maintain eye contact with Hux even though he felt like he was about to be vaporized where he stood.

“It’s just that, that after Susan and Graham quit, I’ve had to do the work of three. Not that I’m complaining,” he hastened to add. “I’m happy to do it, but it’s a lot of work, and some things might… slip through the cracks. I just wondered if I could ask whether you are planning on hiring somebody else? I would, uh, really appreciate it.”

“In fact, we just hired two new associates. They’ll be starting next week. You would know this if you took the time to read the weekly newsletter in your email.” Hux said icily.

“Oh,” Ben said, looking down awkwardly at his papers on the table. He felt like an idiot. If he had just sucked it up for a few more days, replacements would arrive, and all his problems would have been solved. Now, he just made himself look like an ungrateful whiner who wasn’t even good at his job. _Fuck_.

“Get those records to me right away, Organa. I’ll be in my office.” Hux said, before turning around and leaving the room with Phasma. Snoke was already long gone.

Ben watched them go, feeling a little sick. He was doing nothing lately but making himself a liability. At this pace, he’d be out of a job in a week’s time. As he marched dejectedly back down to his cramped desk in the file room, he wondered what he could do to make it up to Hux, to prove his worth.

He gathered up the requested files right away and hightailed it back up to Hux’s office on the executive level. As always, when he emerged onto this floor, he was overtaken by a powerful feeling of not belonging here. The deep, plush carpeting, classy wood-paneling, and expensive yet soulless art lining the walls all served to show him all the ways he didn’t match up, all the reasons why he would never have an office in this hall.

He opened the door to Hux’s secretary, giving her a nod before opening the inner door leading to Hux’s expansive office. The office just oozed luxury and class, somehow even more than the hallway outside. A burgundy-leather couch was on the far wall with a matching glass coffee table. Of course, floor-to-ceiling windows looked out on the city outside. The view never failed to take Ben’s breath away. Coming from the Great Plains, he never quite got used to how impressive, how _huge_ the city really was. The walls were lined with canvases that had blocky stripes of color in a way that Ben supposed was artistic in the kind of way that people like him didn’t really _get_. That kind of art was kind of boring to him, but he probably didn’t have enough culture to truly appreciate it. Not like somebody like Hux would appreciate it.

Hux was sitting behind his long, intimidating mahogany desk composing some message longhand, on a pad of stationery instead of his laptop. His hand cruised confidently over the page, punctuating every sentence with an affirmative period that felt like a statement. He didn’t look up when Ben entered the room or acknowledge him at all.

Suddenly paranoid that he should have knocked before entering, Ben backed up a few steps and knocked on the door. Hux didn’t look up. Now feeling like an idiot, Ben walked into the center of the office, bouncing uncomfortably on his heels. He waited nearly a torturous full minute before coughing to announce his presence. Maybe Hux just didn’t hear him. No reaction.

Ben stood there like a moron clutching the papers Hux had requested in one sweaty fist. He wondered if Hux was expecting him to wait to be acknowledged. He’d already tried to attract Hux’s attention twice, and felt like he couldn’t do it again. Maybe he was supposed to just drop the papers on his desk and leave, and he was making a nuisance out of himself by not doing so.

Feeling more and more uncomfortable, Ben internally debated with himself over how he was supposed to behave when Hux finally looked up, gaze flat and cold.

“Well?” He asked, snapping and holding a hand out. Ben walked up and put the papers in his hand mutely. Hux looked them over, to make sure there were no mistakes, no doubt. The fact that he felt the need to check the pages for errors told Ben everything he needed to know about Hux’s perception of his abilities.

Hux went back to not acknowledging him. Ben stood there, feeling gangly and in the way. Was he supposed to wait for further instructions, or just leave? He waited, consumed with indecision. After this afternoon’s meeting, he didn’t want to make any more mistakes.

After a silence so long Ben could have run all the way to the basement floor and back, Hux set the papers aside neatly and looked up at him. He had an unnerving way of watching Ben, like he was cataloguing every part of him, dissecting him, and placing each piece on a shelf where it belonged.

“What’s your progress on the Tucson case?” Hux asked.

“Well, I have the files sitting on my desk right now. I was going to, uh, stay late tonight and catch up and those were at the top of the list.” Ben said. In truth, they were more like fifth or sixth on the list. Phasma had him digging back into criminal statutes from the ‘70s, and they were all blurry photocopies of microfiche documents, and he basically had to decipher every word like it was written in code to make heads or tails of it. He had a very busy night ahead of him.

“Staying late?” Hux asked. Ben wondered if he would be impressed by his dedication, or just see this as yet another sign of him falling down on the job.

“Yes, sir.” Ben replied.

“Because of how heavy your caseload is.” Hux said as a statement, sounding like he was thinking aloud.

Ben nodded, cursing himself for ever deciding to bring it up at all.

Hux folded his hands and tapped his thumbs together. “Well, I can’t say it’s escaped my notice that your work has been… slipping of late. It’s very dangerous to attract my attention that way, Organa.”

“I know.” Ben agreed nervously, just waiting for the other shoe to drop. He was going to get fired, and he only had enough money in the bank to make next month’s rent. After that, he’d have to find another job, another apartment, basically move his whole life around, admit to failure.

“The two associates we’ve hired are very bright, very dedicated. They’ve just recently graduated, and newer attorneys are always so eager to take on extra work, basically show off so they can climb the ladder quicker. I expect they’ll have that sorry file room you call an office cleared of mess within a fortnight. We’re also working on hiring another paralegal, so that will be taken care of before too long.” Hux mused.

Ben nodded slowly, wondering why Hux was even bothering to tell him about this. He supposed the subtext was that they would be doing all his work, but better, that they would be paid more to clean up a mess Ben wasn’t able to do himself. He knew this was unfair, that given the circumstances, he was doing the work of three people, pulling insane hours, with only a few slip-ups to speak of. If anything, he was keeping this place together, but he knew saying any of that would simply make him look desperate, so he kept his mouth shut, waiting with dread to be fired.

“I suppose that only leaves… what I’m going to do with you.” Hux said slowly.

“Sir, I – I know my performance has been, unsatisfactory as of late, and I can’t tell you how sorry I am for that. But I’m very dedicated to this job. I’m very invested, and I’ll do anything to earn back your trust if you’ll give me the chance.” Ben stumbled through his apology.

Hux raised an eyebrow, seemed amused for some reason. “Really?”

“Yes. I’m _very_ dedicated. I want to do well.” Ben said, hoping he was managing to save his job.

Hux thought for a moment, tapped a finger slowly on the desk. “My secretary is retiring this week. Her last day is Friday.”

“Okay?” Ben said in confusion, unsure why Hux was telling him this.

“The way I see it is, you can do most of the same work you’re doing now, but your main responsibility would be me. You might still need to work for the other partners if it came down to crunch time, but this way, you’d have a little more time to… prioritize.” Hux laid it all out as if were fact already.

It took Ben a few moments to even put two and two together. He wasn’t being fired, he was being… demoted? Transferred? He wasn’t sure what kind of move this was.

“You want me to be your secretary?” Ben asked.

“Partly. You’d still be doing largely the same work, but I want your sole focus to be me. Do you think you could make that work?” Hux asked, the undercurrent to his question _You better, or you’ll be out of a job by next week_.

“Yes, of course. Thank you so much for giving me this chance. I won’t let you down.” Ben said eagerly, knowing that he was being thrown a bone.

“I hope not.” Hux said coldly. He had such an icy, immovable look to his face that Ben had the barest thought that he might have made a mistake before they were moving on.

Hux turned back to his computer, dismissal in his tone. “You start Monday. Be here at six forty-five. I take my coffee extra hot with two shots of espresso and a splash of cream. A modest splash. No more, no less.”

“Of – of course.” Ben said, mind scrambling to remember that order. He’d be expected to get Hux _coffee_? Well, if that’s what it took. He started heading for the door, relieved to be getting out of this oppressive office.

“And one more thing.” Hux called him, compelling him to turn around. “I expect my personal assistant to wear something better than rejects from the Sears catalogue. Buy a nice tie.”

Ben glanced involuntarily down at his nondescript black tie. He hadn’t thought anything of it when he’d bought it. It was just a tie. It only occurred to him now to be self-conscious about it. He was going to promise he’d find something good, but Hux was typing something, and had clearly completely forgotten about Ben’s presence. Ben fled the room.

* * *

Monday morning finally came around, and Ben was just about buzzing out of his skin. He’d spent all weekend obsessing over his new position, trying to make sure he did more to impress in this job than he did in his last. Since he’d be working directly under Hux, he felt like he was going to be under the microscope. He had to do everything right this time. No more slipups.

Ben checked his cheap watch as he emerged from the coffee shop two blocks away from work. It was 6:30. He had plenty of time to make it up to his new desk on time. As he stood with every other early commuter in the city waiting for the light to change, he smoothed his new tie with one hand. He hadn’t gotten very many guidelines from Hux as to what constituted a _nice_ tie. He assumed that meant expensive.

He’d dragged Rey with him to a men’s wear shop over the weekend. The place was way over his price range, but he wanted, no, _needed_ , to impress, and he needed a second opinion. They spent almost two hours sifting through tie after tie, rejecting some for being too fat, too thin, too long, too colorful, not colorful enough. It got to the point where they were getting the eye from the clerk in the store, who assumed they didn’t have the money to purchase anything from the store. This wasn’t a store meant for someone like Ben, it was meant for men like Hux, powerful and assured and well-off. Rey complained vociferously about being forced into this, but she helped Ben pick a muted maroon tie with a subtle, cubed embroidery to give it character. It cost nearly half a paycheck, but Ben forked over the money. He didn’t want to let Hux down in the very first thing he requested from him.

Ben entered the building, walking past security and entering the elevator, feeling a little thrill when he pressed the button for the top floor. He was still in the hot seat, but this definitely felt like a bit of a step up. He held Hux’s coffee in one hand, hoping he’d done it right. The extra-hot part of the order was what was worrying him. He’d wanted to arrive to work early enough to ensure he didn’t have to worry about being late on his first day, but if he showed up too early, Hux’s coffee would be lukewarm by the time he arrived. Ben supposed he could always warm it up, but the thought of Hux walking in to see him warming up his coffee in the microwave was not a good one.

Before he’d left the previous Friday, Ben had already moved his few things into the newly-vacant secretary’s desk so everything was ready and waiting for him on Monday morning. Hux’s office was completely obscured from the hallway outside, but the small anteroom where Ben’s desk was had glass windows that looked out on the hallway. There were privacy blinds which he left open.

Ben spent a few minutes obsessing over whether he should leave the coffee on Hux’s desk or if he should have it to hand to Hux when he walked in the door. He ended up leaving it on Hux’s desk. He assumed Hux was the kind of man who liked things to be in their place, and Ben didn’t want to draw _too_ much attention to himself.

He sat at his desk and spent a few minutes half-heartedly checking his emails while looking at the clock. 6:39. 6:42. 6:46. He was sort of nervous for no reason he could put a finger on. He’d been working for Hux for months, but not this close, and he wanted to live up to expectations. As the minutes ticked by, Ben thought nervously of the cooling coffee in the other room. Maybe Hux wanted it extra hot so by the time he showed up, it would be the right temperature.

Hux walked in the door at precisely seven. Ben guessed that being here by six forty-five was only for him. He stood up abruptly to meet Hux, bumping his knee on the desk.

“Morning, sir.” He said brightly.

Hux barely glanced at him. He took his coat off with a smooth, practiced motion and handed it to Ben without a word before walking into his inner office.

Ben took the coat and looked around him, wondering where to put it. There wasn’t a coat rack in here that he could see. He’d just hung his own coat over the back of his chair. After a bit of investigation, he found a discrete handle to a hidden door that opened up to reveal an empty closet. Ben hung up Hux’s jacket, making sure it didn’t have any creases in it. On reflection, he ran over to grab his own jacket and hang it up as well. He supposed Hux didn’t want coats hung over chairs. He wondered if Hux had noticed his coat, and decided he probably had.

He hovered at the door to Hux’s office, wondering if he was expected to come in. He ultimately decided yes, and walked into the room. Hux was standing at the window checking something on his phone. Ben glanced over at the coffee on the desk. Had Hux seen it? He didn’t want him to think he’d forgotten.

“Uh, I left your coffee on the desk. I got it from Mortimer’s, down the street. I hope that’s your usual coffee spot. I think they’re pretty good.” Ben started rambling again before cutting himself off.

Hux had his back to Ben. “Yes, I saw it.” He said coolly.

“Oh, okay.” Ben said, biting his lip, starting to regret coming in here. Maybe Hux wanted his few minutes of solitude before the day started.

Hux tucked his phone into his front pocket and turned around, morning light catching in his hair. “Well? Bring it here.”

Ben hurried to comply, pressing the coffee into Hux’s hand and standing there trying not to stare while Hux took the first sip. Hux’s face was expressionless, and Ben struggled to decipher how he felt. Hux looked out the window down at the outspread city. He took a second sip. Then a third.

Hux looked at him again, flinty eyes not reflecting the warm morning light. “Acceptable, however there’s too much cream in this. Do better next time.”

“Oh, o-okay. Too much cream. Got it.” Ben stuttered. He could have kicked himself. He had been so bent out of shape about the temperature of the coffee he hadn’t been paying attention to the rest of the order.

Hux had already turned away, and walked over to sit at his desk, turning his computer on. “Alright, Organa. Let’s get started.”

The next few minutes were filled with Hux giving out a truly dizzying number of instructions that Ben did his best to keep up with. He wished he’d brought a pad of paper in here so he could track of it all, but he couldn’t imagine asking Hux to wait a moment while he went in the other room to grab one. He did his best to keep it all in his head. After going through everything, Hux sat back in his chair. “Got it?” He asked curtly, with a quietly amused expression on his face that meant, ‘ _If you don’t, I wouldn’t say so, because I won’t be repeating myself_ ’.

“Yes, sir. I’ll get started right away.” Ben said, fleeing the room for his own desk. Once he was out of sight of Hux, he fell upon a pad of paper and scribbled down everything Hux had said before he could forget anything.

After that, Ben hardly had any time to think about whether or not he was living up to expectations. It was all he could do to complete all the tasks Hux had assigned him in the time allotted. He ended up skipping lunch because there was just so much to do. He kind of thought the point of this new position was that it was going to give him a bit more breathing room, but he was being worked as hard as ever. Maybe this was just how it was on the first day, and after he’d settled into things, Hux would ease up a little. Either way, he didn’t have time to think about it.

While Ben typed up legal briefs, made phone calls, and trotted up and down the stairs to deliver files to different departments, Hux went about his business largely without Ben’s intervention. He left a few times to have conversations with the other partners, and even took an hour-long lunch. Perks of his position, Ben guessed, although he didn’t even have the time contemplate what Hux was or wasn’t doing. He was too busy.

The end of the day arrived, but Ben still had work to do. He was trying to avoid his budding headache while checking for spelling errors in a press release he was sending off to another department when he noticed that Hux was standing right in front of his desk.

Ben looked up, startled. “Oh, sorry, Mr. Hux, I didn’t notice you. Did you need something?”

“I’m leaving for the day.” Hux announced wryly like Ben was supposed to do something about it.

“Well, have a good night.” Ben said, turning half an eye back to his computer.

Hux was still standing there. “It’s a chilly night, I hear.”

“Sure is.” Ben agreed, privately hoping this guy would just get out of here so he could get back to work. A moment later, he noticed Hux still standing there, staring at him expectantly.

“Oh! Your coat! Sorry, I wasn’t thinking, I’ll go get it right away.” Ben babbled, jumping to his feet and rushing over to the closet to get Hux’s coat. He’d put the coat away this morning, it made sense he would be expected to give it back at the end of the day. He rummaged around in the closet and turned around, holding the coat out to Hux.

Hux didn’t move to take it. Slight contempt was on his face. “Ah, Organa? I believe I would recognize my own coat anywhere. That’s not it.”

Ben noticed with horror that he was holding his own shabby coat out to Hux. He flushed a deep red, turned around, and got the right coat out. “Sorry.” He muttered, deeply embarrassed.

Hux didn’t take his eyes off of Ben while he slid his coat on. “Tell me, are you always so absentminded? Because if you are, that’s something we’ll have to work on.”

If anything, Ben flushed even more. “No, I’m usually pretty on top of things. This has just been a very hectic day.”

“You’ll get used to it.” Hux said. “I don’t take things slow.”

Ben nodded, letting out a breath when Hux stepped away from him and head for the door. Hux turned around with his hand on the doorknob. “Oh, and Organa? The tie is a surprisingly elegant choice.”

Ben’s hand returned to his tie. He’d forgotten about it, and kind of thought Hux had too, but apparently Hux noticed everything and just stored it away for later. He only had the chance to appreciate the praise for a second before Hux pulled the rug out underneath his feet just as quick.

“I just wish it matched the suit.” Hux said before closing the door and leaving.

Ben reeled a little from the whiplash, but he didn’t have time to think about it. He had work to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have half of this story written already, and the rest of it planned and outlined. I plan on updating about every 2 weeks (I did once a week for my last fic, and I was a bit burned out by the end), although once I get closer to finishing the thing, I might speed up and post once a week.
> 
> If you read my last fic, this one will be less outwardly violent, but still plenty awful and manipulative :) Also there's a plot! Imagine that! Ben has no idea what he's getting into with Hux... And since you're reading this story, I assume that's just the way you like it. Things ramp up pretty quick in the next chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, mind those tags, folks.

Ben’s first week with Hux proceeded along similar lines. It took him two more tries to get the coffee order right, but he didn’t forget the coat again. He never quite got used to the workload, and he ended each day a little more frazzled than the last. There was just so much to do, and not enough time in the day to do it. He didn’t understand how Hux managed to get all of this work done without showing an ounce of stress. He had to be superhuman, Ben mused to himself as he watched Hux go at it in meetings, taking down the competition without a misstep. He had to have some sort of stress relief, but Ben couldn’t imagine what it would be.

Ben was nearly obsessive about noting everything that Hux did and said, although Hux continued with the trend of behaving as if he barely knew Ben was alive. Maybe he didn’t. Maybe Ben was so far underneath his notice he didn’t even register as a person. As long as Ben did the work and stayed out of his way, maybe he didn’t have a use for him.

This conception was blown apart on Friday. There was a firm-wide meeting to discuss a class-action lawsuit where they were, of course, defending the billion-dollar automobile manufacturing company. It was a massive undertaking involving all three partners, the associates, and paralegals. Everyone had a job to do, and the meeting was for delegating the tasks out to everyone and discussing a plan of attack.

Ben had been tasked with compiling dossiers on every person on the other side of the lawsuit. He’d spent an entire day and a half putting it together, and he thought he’d done a pretty good job. It was well-researched, with an index and page numbers and even a few pictures attached. He was privately hoping for a tiny ounce of praise from Hux for being so thorough. He’d come to crave the small crumbs of approval he got from Hux now and again, probably even more because they were so few and far between. Hux was much more likely to give out a tongue-lashing than an honest compliment. Eager to redeem himself in Hux’s eyes, Ben thought he’d really pulled it off this time.

This confidence lasted most of the way through the meeting until a few of the others noticed that their dossiers were out of order, some with extra pages and some missing sections entirely. Heart in his throat, Ben figured out that it was a printing mistake. One of the printers on the lowest level was always doing things like this. It wasn’t his fault that the printer had malfunctioned, but it was his fault that he hadn’t checked the stacks before he handed them out to people. He just hadn’t had the time to do it. Hux did nothing but pile more work on top of him, and he’d only finished these dossiers with half an hour to spare before the meeting started.

He stumbled through an apology, embarrassment coursing over him like a powerful wave. “I’ll go fix it immediately. Just give me twenty minutes and I’ll have the right ones-”

Hux cut him off and looked over at one of the other paralegals who mainly worked for Phasma. He was blonde and well-built, and generally looked like he should be a small-town quarterback instead of working here. By virtue of having the same job, Ben knew him from around. “Dawson, in my experience you’ve been nothing but thorough. You’re on that. Get the updated dossiers to everyone.”

Sam Dawson nodded after giving Ben a sly look. In their positions, a little competition was unavoidable. “Of course, Mr. Hux.”

Ben stood in the room full of his coworkers, face beet red, embarrassed and wishing he could sink into the floor.

Phasma checked her watch. “Well, that’s our hour, everyone. You’ve all got your assignments. I don’t know about you, but I am feeling the urge to go order a steak so bloody it doesn’t even know it’s dead yet.”

Everyone started packing up and filing out of the room, chatting with each other about what they were going to do over the weekend. Ben sank low in his seat, keeping his eyes down, desultorily gathering up all his papers. He wanted to wait until everyone was gone before he took his walk of shame back to his desk. He knew that he would have to get good and drunk tonight to forget what happened. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t seem to stop fucking up.

When he looked up, Hux was standing at the door, the only other person in the room. Without a word, he tipped his head and indicated that Ben should follow him. He looked pissed.

Ben followed him, heart in his throat. They rode up the elevator in silence, Hux’s obvious irritation a thunderous cloud that enveloped them both.

Ben dropped his things on his desk, and followed Hux into his inner office. It was the end of the day, and the sun was just about to slip over the horizon and plunge them into night. Hux stood with his hands planted behind him on his desk. He watched Ben with dark eyes.

“Lock the door behind you. I don’t want to be interrupted.” Hux said.

Ben complied, hands shaking a little. This was it. He’d avoided being fired once, but all he’d done was put it off. Well, he’d had a good run.

Hux was so still he was nearly a statue, every line tight and coiled like a spring. “Organa, I don’t think you need me to tell you that your recent performance has been completely unacceptable.”

“No, sir. I’m so sorry. I understand if you can’t overlook this, but I do want you to know truly sorry I am. I’ll try harder from now on. I promise.” Ben said, wondering exactly how he was going to pull that off. He was already trying as hard as humanly possible, and kind of felt like he was on the edge of nervous collapse.

“That’s what you said last time.” Hux said, voice cold and unforgiving.

“I know I did.” Ben said miserably, the words caught in his throat. He was going to say more, but he didn’t know what he could possibly say to make this any better.

“I don’t tolerate mistakes. There’s only so many times I can have the same conversation with a subordinate before I wonder if other corrective measures might be necessary.” Hux said.

Ben swallowed, wondering what that meant. Even _more_ work? Being demoted down to the mailroom?

“Tell me, what can I do to motivate you? Perhaps you need a better incentive to… concentrate.” Hux asked, voice like a stretch of road with hidden patches of ice.

“Whatever you suggest, sir, I’ll do my best to listen. I… I really need this job.” Ben said, not meaning to admit something like that. Hux made him so nervous he kept accidentally saying things he would rather keep to himself.

Hux raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

Ben nodded.

Hux stared at him with an unnerving intensity. He looked like he was considering something, looking at it from all angles before acting. “You said the other day that you would do anything for me. Were those just words, or did you mean them?”

“Oh, I meant them. Whatever you need.” Ben said, unaware of the danger he was putting himself in. It was a treacherous business writing a blank check when you didn’t have the funds to back it up.

A small smile crossed Hux’s face, one of the few Ben had ever seen. “Hmm. I need you to understand something, Organa, if this arrangement is going to continue. When you’re here, I need you _here_. I need you to be aware of my every need and fulfill them before I even think to ask. I need you completely and utterly focused on me. Nothing else is important. If you can’t agree to that, this isn’t going to work.”

Ben blinked, a little taken aback by Hux’s sudden intensity. That was… a lot. But it wasn’t an unreasonable thing to ask for, he told himself. He was Hux’s secretary. Of course Hux wanted him to be so on top of things.

“I understand. I – I can do that. Or at least, I can try my best.” Ben said earnestly.

The contemptuous look was back on Hux’s face. “Mm. I’ll say the problem so far is that your best isn’t good enough. But I can do something about that, demonstrate to you our relative positions. I’m going to help you put things into perspective.”

“How?” Ben asked. This entire conversation was getting far thornier and stranger than he’d anticipated when he’d come in here. He thought he was just going to get chewed out or fired.

Ben kind of felt like he was standing on the deck of a ship in very choppy water. The next thing Hux said managed to turn the entire ship sideways.

“Unknot your tie. Unbutton your shirt.” Hux said, gaze intense.

Ben’s veins turned to ice. He hadn’t actually heard what he thought he’d heard, right? There was some sort of miscommunication.

“W-what?” He asked nervously.

Hux’s expression didn’t change. He didn’t look embarrassed to have said what he did. “You heard what I said, Organa. I don’t like to repeat myself.”

Ben’s heart started hammering. This wasn’t at _all_ what he had been expecting before. This kind of thing didn’t happen, right? Maybe Hux didn’t mean what he thought he meant. Maybe there was some innocent reason why he wanted him to take his tie off, although for the life of him, he couldn’t think of one.

He laughed nervously to cover up his unease. “Okay, if this is a joke, sir, I don’t really get it.”

“Do I look like I’m joking?” Hux asked placidly. He certainly didn’t.

Every muscle in Ben’s chest tightened. “Um, I’m not r-really, uh, _comfortable_ with that kind of thing, I don’t really want… I’d, uh, like to keep things professional… You understand…”

“This is professional. We’re dealing with a performance issue. One I’m going to correct.” Hux explained calmly like a boss pressuring his subordinate to undress was perfectly normal.

Ben shot a panicked glance back at the office door. Maybe he should just leave. Maybe getting fired wouldn’t be the worst thing ever.

Hux caught his glance. His eyes tightened. “You can leave if you like, of course. I wouldn’t dream of stopping you. It’ll be a shame to have to find another secretary, but it’s such a dynamic job market these days.”

Ben gritted his teeth. The ultimatum was there, and he could choose to take it or leave it. He was one inch from walking out the door, but something stopped him. Maybe what Hux had in mind wasn’t so bad. Maybe, if he just got it over with as quickly as possible, they could move on and he’d be back on Hux’s good side. He couldn’t explain why the thought of disappointing this man was so unpleasant.

Ben looked back at Hux, who still hadn’t moved. If this was something… sinister, surely he would be standing between Ben and the door, surely he would be threatening him, grabbing him, something… So maybe this was fine…

Ben took a deep breath, brought his hands up to his tie, and began to loosen it.

A pleased smile bloomed dark across Hux’s face. Ben tried to tell himself the sight didn’t send an electric shiver down his spine.

He eased the tie over his head and held it bunched in one hand. With shaking fingers, he began to unbutton his shirt, top to bottom, as slowly as he thought he could get away with. He couldn’t meet Hux’s eyes, and just kept his eyes on the floor. Embarrassment and shame painted his chest red. He couldn’t believe he was doing this…

He faltered about halfway down.

“I didn’t tell you to stop.” Hux said, disapproval coloring his voice.

Ben kept going. The sun had gone down, and shadows were starting to gather in the spacious office. Hux hadn’t moved from his desk. They were still a few feet away from each other. Ben thought if Hux had taken a single step forward, he would have lost his nerve.

At long last, Ben undid the last button. His shirt gaped open, revealing his chest. Ben had never really thought very much about his own body. He always had the general feeling that he wasn’t very attractive. He was very gangly and awkward, too tall, voice too low, just too weird-looking to be most people’s thing. This suspicion seemed to be backed up by the fact that his list of sexual experiences was pretty much nil. So he really didn’t understand why Hux would even _want_ to see him like this. That was the one thing leading him to believe that this wasn’t a sexual thing.

Ben stood there, a little uncomfortable while Hux took him in, completely at his leisure.

He realized he was just holding his tie in one fist like an idiot. He looked around him for somewhere to put it, but the nearest table was a dozen feet away, and he felt like if he tried to move, it would break the strange spell in here. He decided to just toss it on the floor for the moment.

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t make a mess of my office, Organa.” Hux said, unimpressed.

Ben picked the tie up again, blushing. “Sorry, sir. I just wasn’t sure what to do with it, and the table was pretty far away, and-”

Hux shifted forward so he was standing up straight. This startled Ben into shutting up. He thought if Hux came over here and tried to touch him, he would lose it and run out of the room. This was already too weird.

“You’re a bit of a chatterbox, aren’t you?” Hux noted, not like it was a good thing. “Why don’t you put that tie to use? Put it in your mouth. Tie it around your head.”

Ben looked at Hux in shock. “What?” He said. That was too much, that was…

Hux didn’t move, didn’t ask again. The unspoken rule was still there. Comply, or leave.

With a flush that had to be taking over his entire body by now, Ben brought his shaky hands up and slid the tie between his teeth. The expensive silk slid over his tongue, and Ben had the completely inappropriate thought of wondering if that’s what Hux’s tie would taste like. He knotted the tie behind his head sloppily. When he was done, he was clumsily gagged. Every inch of his skin felt like it was on fire, and his knees felt a little wobbly. He had _never_ done anything like this before, this was insane. At least he didn’t have to worry about saying the wrong thing anymore.

When he looked up to see Hux’s intense gaze taking him in like he was a gift being offered up, Ben’s knees actually did buckle, and he fell gracelessly onto the carpet. He immediately realized what kind of position this put him in, but when he moved to get up, Hux raised a hand.

“No, stay there.”

Ben stared up at Hux, his overheated mind trying to figure out how this had spiraled out of control so quickly. Fifteen minutes ago, he had been thinking about catching his train back home.

In contrast to Ben’s rapidly disheveled state, Hux was as put together and unknowable as ever. Not a hair out of place, not a single drop of sweat betrayed how he felt about seeing Ben gagged and kneeling at his feet. Ben reeled at the dizzying amount of control Hux seemed to hold over this situation.

“Well, it seems to me like you have a situation down there that needs seeing to.” Hux said wryly.

Ben didn’t know what he meant until he looked down and realized with horror that he was half-hard. That didn’t make any sense, how could any of this be turning him on, how could being humiliated like this be doing anything except making him want to jump off a roof?

“Take care of it.” Hux ordered, like it was some correspondence that needed to be dropped in the mail.

Ben’s eyes widened. _No_. No way. He couldn’t do something like that, not in front of his _boss_. He couldn’t imagine anything more mortifying. He shook his head and whined a little, hating how small and pathetic it made him sound. He should get up right now. He should leave. This wasn’t right, there was no way this was acceptable. Hux was going to do this to him and then fire him anyway.

But Hux didn’t say anything else, didn’t repeat himself, just expected Ben to comply.

Half-wanting to die on the spot, Ben brought a slow hand down to his waist, unbuttoning his pants and easing his hand into his pants. He kept expecting Hux to tell him to stop, to leap up and tell him _that’s_ not what he meant by take care of it, you sick worm, get out of my office, I never want to see you again. That’s what he was expecting, but if he was being honest, that only served to turn him on even more.

Ben wrapped his fingers lightly around his cock, groaning a little at the contact. He’d never done something like this in front of another person.

Hux was silent, just waiting for him to follow instructions.

Ben began stroking himself, long, slow movements that began to speed up as he hardened even more. He groaned and shifted his legs so he was in a better position.

Hux saw that happen, and laughed, a small and knowing sound. Sudden mortification flowed over Ben’s spine. Why was he _doing_ this? Why wasn’t he running for the goddamn hills? His hand slowed, and he reached up to take the tie out of his mouth. They had to talk about this for a second, they had to slow things _way_ down, because Ben wasn’t comfortable with any of this _at all_ , despite what his stupid cock had to say about it.

“Continue.” Hux snapped, stopping Ben with his hand at the tie.

Ben was frozen between following orders and doing what his logical brain was screaming at him to do, which was leave the room right away. What stopped him was the thought of what would happen if he left right now. He’d be fired, of course, but what would Hux say when people asked why Ben was gone? What if he _told_ people about what happened? If he kept going with Hux’s plan, he’d still have a job tomorrow, so he’d have more time to think and figure out what he was going to do.

With slow movements, he snaked his hand back down to his groin. All he wanted to do now was get this over with so he could go home. His base needs had been running the show for a few minutes, but now his brain was telling him to finish this up so he could leave.

It didn’t take long before Ben was close, feeling that ramping, hot pressure deep inside of him. He closed his eyes to avoid Hux’s laser gaze, embarrassed to realize that he was drooling a little. The tie in his mouth made it hard to swallow, so it was quickly getting wet. All he could think about now was his expensive tie that was going to be ruined, the amount of money he’d spent to impress Hux, and now Hux was practically making him throw it away.

“No, don’t close your eyes. Look at me.” Hux demanded. Ben opened his eyes to meet Hux’s. He was panting now, caught in a confusing mess of humiliated and turned on and a little afraid but thrilled by the whole situation he didn’t know how to handle.

Hux waited patiently until he saw Ben was right at the cusp of coming. He abandoned his stationary spot by the desk and walked a slow circle around Ben, like he was assessing him. Ben gasped, too focused on what he was doing to follow him with his eyes. He couldn’t decide whether he really wanted Hux to touch him or whether he _really_ didn’t.

Hux was directly behind him when Ben finally came with a gasp and a shudder. He fell onto the floor on his hands and knees, breathing like he’d run a marathon.

Hux’s voice came from behind him, cool and unruffled. “Mm. You might show some promise after all.”

Hux walked back around to his desk and sat down, opening his email. After a few seconds, he looked up to see Ben still kneeling on the ground, panting and staring at him, awaiting further instructions.

“Clean yourself up and get out of my office, Organa. I have a dinner to get to.” He said, not even looking at him.

With shaking hands, Ben pulled the tie out of his mouth. He had trouble untying his loose knot behind his head because of how out of it he felt right now. He thought of putting it back on for a minute, but it was covered in saliva, and he wasn’t going to wear a wet tie out of the building. The thought of someone seeing it sent a shudder through him.

He quickly buttoned his shirt up and stood up. His pants were unpleasantly wet, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it in this office. His face felt hot, and he was sure he looked exactly how he felt, disheveled and used.

He hovered at the door, not believing that was all. The second it was over, latent shame rose up and covered him completely. He’d just knelt and jerked himself off in his boss’ office. How the fuck was he going to be able to look him in the eye on Monday? He was hoping for something else from Hux, a smile or a kind word, _anything_. Hux was just checking his email like nothing out of the ordinary had just happened. It made Ben feel like he was an object to be used.

“Um, sir?” He began quietly, every muscle in his body telling him to flee the room immediately. “Uh, you’re not going to tell anyone about this, are you?”

Hux looked up at him, and for the first time Ben caught the dangerous undercurrent to his eyes, the perilous line he was skirting here. “The way I choose to discipline my employees isn’t anyone’s business but my own. See you on Monday, Organa. Don’t be late.”

Ben shivered over the word choice _discipline_ , but gladly taking the opportunity to flee the room. He ran down the hallway to the bathroom, locking himself in a stall and cleaning himself up before grabbing his coat and vacating the building as fast as he could.

He went straight home, turned his phone off, and drank three rum and cokes before passing out. He never wanted to think about Hux ever again.

* * *

Ben spent the weekend locked in his apartment, trying his best not to think about work and not managing it in the slightest. He stopped half-a-dozen movies halfway through, got most of the way through building a bookshelf and finally cleaned up the dirty dishes that had been growing specimens in his sink for a month before he had to admit that sitting in his apartment alone was just managing to make him think about it _more._

He accepted Rey’s invitation to the bar where Poe worked. There was some up-and-coming local band playing, and Poe was getting them in for free. Perks of the job.

When Ben arrived, the band was already halfway through their set, and everyone in the crowd was feeling the energy, completely caught up in the moment. Ben fought his way through the crowd to the second-floor, less-used bar where Poe was usually stationed. Rey and Finn were already there, balancing bottle caps on their noses and joking around.

He slid onto a bar stool and reached over the counter to grab one of the beers underneath. Poe would charge him for it later.

“Hey hey hey!” Rey shouted to be heard over the music. “I see the young professional has descended from his ivory tower to grace us with his presence!”

Ben rolled his eyes and popped the beer open on the bar. “Give me a break.”

Finn leaned over Rey to be heard. He casually had an arm around her shoulder. They were just like that, always touching each other in some way. Ben wasn’t like that. Every touch felt like a big deal to him. “No, seriously! Where have you been? I feel like I haven’t seen you in two weeks! You’ve been totally missing from the group chat!”

“Sorry! I’ve just been, like, _so_ busy with work.” Ben shouted back. He grimaced a little bit, the entire point of coming here so that he wouldn’t have to talk about work. He thought about his tie that he’d spent forty five minutes cleaning which was hanging up above his washing machine right now to dry.

“I thought you were getting out of that, dude!” Finn said, looking completely at home in this locale.

“Yeah, weren’t you going to, uh, _give them the business_?” Rey laughed.

Ben was glad the bar was so dark so that they couldn’t see the way his face heated up. If anything, Hux had been the one to give him the business, but he would rather die before he told them what had happened.

“Well, they are hiring new people, but we’ve got so many new clients now that there’s a lot more work to do! I’ve been staying late most of this week. I, uh, got promoted. Or demoted, or something. I don’t know. I have a new position.” Ben said.

“What’s that?” Poe asked suddenly, sliding into the conversation as easily as if he’d been there the entire time. He had a habit of doing that. He also looked like he was in his element, pleasantly flushed from all the running around filling drink orders, with a bar towel thrown over his shoulder. It seemed everyone here had an element, a place where they felt completely comfortable. Ben tried to pretend he wasn’t jealous of that.

“I’m the… personal assistant to Armitage Hux! He’s one of the partners.” Ben admitted, not quite sure how they’d ended up talking about this when he had specifically wanted to avoid thinking about him.

“Well well well! Moving up in the world, huh? How’d you get that job? Did you blow him?” Poe asked, laughing.

Rey swatted him on the arm and told him not to be gross, and the three of them fell into a good-natured argument about it. Luckily, they were so distracted with this that they did not see Ben’s face turn a red so deep they probably _would_ have been able to see it even in the low lighting.

Rey turned around and patted Ben on the shoulder. “No, seriously, congratulations! That’s a big deal, you must be excited.”

He nodded. “Yeah! Yeah…” To be honest, he had been a lot more excited about the whole thing last week, but he wasn’t going to get into it now.

By the time the night was over, Ben was pleasantly drunk and had loosened up enough that he wasn’t thinking about his job at all. The four of them chatted and enjoyed the band and ended the night knowing they’d have a monster hangover, but too happy to care.

Monday morning arrived, and with it so did Ben’s nerves. He woke up before dawn, staring up at the ceiling in his dark apartment and dreading getting up to face the day. How was he supposed to just walk into the office and pretend like nothing had happened? How could he look Hux in the eye after he’d so thoroughly debased himself?

Regardless, the idea of being late was so much worse, so Ben got up and got dressed, trying not to think about it too much when he pulled his new tie over his head and knotted it up. He’d considered briefly wearing one of his older, shittier ties, but he thought this might bring even more attention to it that he just stuck with the nicer one.

He picked up Hux’s coffee order that he was, by now, so accustomed to, and trudged up to the executive level, heart in his throat. He was here early, and he wished he was still down at his previous desk so he wouldn’t have to see Hux. Hux would walk right past his desk to get to his office. Would he say something? Would he walk in and look at Ben in contempt, wondering what the hell he was still doing here after how he’d debased himself last week? Ben didn’t know, but he would have done _anything_ to avoid him. He even briefly considered going to the bathroom and hiding out in there until he was sure Hux was in the office, but he knew that would just bring more unwanted attention to him.

It got to the point where Ben was just openly staring at the clock and waiting for Hux to walk in, dread in his chest.

As usual, Hux walked in at exactly seven. No earlier, no later. Ben looked up in a half-panic, wondering what he was going to say when Hux looked at him.

Hux didn’t look at him. He strode into the room like a man on a mission, slid his coat off like usual, and offered it to Ben to take. Ben took the coat, but couldn’t help staring at the ground in latent embarrassment, just thinking about Hux’s heavy gaze on him as he’d unbuttoned his shirt and sunk down to the plush carpet in the office. Did Hux think less of him now? Was he so disgusted by him that he didn’t even want to look him in the eyes?

Hux brushed past him with barely a thought and entered his office. Ben watched him go, thinking that being ignored was possibly the worst of the outcomes he could have anticipated. He had no idea how to react, what Hux was thinking.

He waited a few minutes, staring at his computer screen without seeing it. Hux liked him to wait exactly ten minutes before coming in and receiving his instructions for the day, so Hux had a chance to settle in before starting the day. Those were the longest ten minutes of Ben’s life. He didn’t have a thought in his head, just klaxoning anxiety and roiling nausea.

At last, it was time for him to go in. Putting it off would be a mistake, so Ben stood up, carrying a pad of paper he’d learned to bring with him so he wouldn’t forget anything.

Hux was standing by his bookshelf, searching for a particular volume while sipping his coffee. He half-turned when Ben nearly tiptoed in. He tried his best to avert his eyes from the spot on the carpet where he’d so thoroughly humiliated himself on Friday.

He was going to say something, but he found his throat had closed up with nerves.

The way the morning light came through the window made it hard to see the details of Hux’s expression. “It’s generally considered polite to offer up a greeting in the morning, Organa.” He said, just a faint hint of disapproval coloring his voice. Ben was coming to dread that tone.

Ben tried, but just made an odd choking sound. He cleared his throat and tried again. “G’morning, Mr. Hux.” His voice was a little squeaky, but under the circumstances, he couldn’t do anything about it.

“And how was your weekend?” Hux asked, icily polite. He sounded like he was going through the expected paces of small talk.

“It was, uh, yeah, yeah. Good. Thank you.” Ben stammered. He could have smacked himself. He sounded like such an idiot.

“It’s going to be busy today.” Hux commented lightly.

“Yes, sir.” Ben didn’t know what else to say. He thought he was going to die. Hux really wasn’t going to say anything about the elephant in the room?

“I hope you’ve taken the weekend to reflect, and now you’re ready to do apply yourself.” Hux said. Ben couldn’t tell if he was imagining the slight glint of amusement in Hux’s eyes.

“Yes, yes. Yes, I am. Ready and willing, sir.” Ben said, immediately cringing almost visibly at the unintentional double entendre. God, he really couldn’t stop himself.

Hux watched him for another few moments, letting the silence stretch uncomfortably before nodding like he’d found something out. “Good. I have plenty for you to do.”

After he’d received his instructions for the day, Ben was dismissed. Ben walked toward the door, clutching his pad of paper to his chest like a life vest. He couldn’t leave it like this. He had to know how things stood between them. They had to talk about it, at least for just a moment.

He hovered in the doorway. “Um, can I ask something?”

Hux looked up, thin irritation at being interrupted on his face. “You know I don’t like giving clarifications. I say things once, and that’s all.”

“No, it’s not that… Uh… it’s just… about last week? What happened on, uh, on Friday? Shouldn’t we, uh, talk about it?” Ben asked tentatively, wondering if he was really going to have to spell it out.

Hux’s face was stony and unimpressed. “What is there to talk about?” He said.

Ben already regretted bringing this up. “It’s just-”

Hux had turned back to his computer. “I don’t have time for this right now. You have work to do, Organa. I expect your performance will be better than last week’s.”

Ben knew a dismissal when he heard one. He mumbled something and fled the room.

Not wanting to get on Hux’s bad side any more than he already was, Ben threw himself into his work. What had happened was mortifying, yes, but Hux had done it in service of getting him more focused on what he had to do here. He didn’t want to let Hux down. He’d gotten off to a rocky start, but he could show Hux he could do the work. He’d do everything right. Anything to avoid a repeat of Friday night.

The day proceeded normally. Ben was as busy as ever, having to ferry messages between Hux and Phasma a few times. Phasma intimidated him as well, but at least with her, he thought if he pissed her off, she would just fire him or throw him off a roof or something. She didn’t scare him like Hux did.

The class-action lawsuit they were all working on turned out to involve a lot more work on everyone’s part than they had anticipated. Hux, Ben, and a few of the paralegals were all staying late to get together some drafts of briefs they’d need by Wednesday. Ben was resigning himself to another long evening of work, but at least he’d be joined this time by a group of others. They’d all be working out of the same conference room, so it would at least feel a little communal.

Late afternoon, Hux called Ben into his office. “I want you to go out and get dinner for me. I don’t have the time to go anywhere. There’s a deli out by Cushing Circle that has excellent sandwiches. I want it back here by six thirty.”

Ben glanced at the clock, wondering how on earth he was going to get there and back during rush hour on time, but he wasn’t going to start complaining. He took the company credit card that Hux handed him, immediately paranoid about losing it.

“Oh, and one more thing. I think Snoke was going to order food for his paralegals, but Dawson is the odd man out. Get his order before you leave. He’ll want something, I expect.” Hux said.

On his way down the elevator, Ben realized Sam Dawson was the one Hux had trusted with the work Ben had messed up. He wondered if being forced to talk to Sam was some kind of twisted punishment of some kind? He was really hoping that what he’d gone through on Friday was reprimand enough.

He found Sam in a shared office with one of Snoke’s paralegals, Jim, a thin-faced, fast-talking opportunist. Their office was piled high with paper and a few joke paperweights, and seemed generally much more full of life than Ben’s sterile office upstairs.

Jim turned to see Ben when he walked in. He was leaning back in his office chair and looked like he hadn’t been doing any work for hours. “Well, look who it is! The disappointment himself!”

Ben rolled his eyes and gave him a rude hand gesture. He always felt like he remembered how to be a person whenever he wasn’t around Hux. “You’re just mad that I was promoted before you. How long have you been working here, Jim? Four years? Five?”

Jim and Sam looked at each other and laughed snidely. “Promoted? Is that the word you’re using?”

Ben blinked, unsure what to do with that comment. He decided to just get on with the task at hand. He really had to get going if he had a chance of making it back in time.

“Uh, whatever. Sam, Hux wanted me to get your dinner order. A deli shop in Cushing. I don’t know. I’ve never been there. I don’t know what they have.” Ben said.

Sam raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Oh, he has you running out to get dinner now? What’s next, you moving in?”

Ben made a face. “What is your problem? I’m just doing my job. Do you want dinner or not? I don’t really care either way.”

Sam raised his hands up in a ‘peace’ motion. “Hey, hey, take it easy. I’m just yanking your chain. I will take whatever their equivalent of a meatball sub is.”

Ben nodded, looking at his phone to look up the address of the deli. “Okay, great. You could have just told me that to begin with. Thanks. I’ve got to get going.”

“Woah, hang on!” Sam called after him. “Seriously. What’s he like?”

Ben frowned. “Hux? Why?”

Sam and Jim both were looking at him with interest. “I don’t know, it’s just, people talk. You know.” Sam said. He had his tie loosened and shirt sleeves rolled up. Ben didn’t understand how he could feel at ease enough to do that here.

“Uh, I don’t know, actually. What does that even mean?” Ben said, interested despite himself.

“You forget, he’s new here. He hasn’t had time to absorb the news through the grapevine yet.” Jim piped up.

Sam thought for a moment and shrugged. “It’s just that… Hux will sometimes take an interest in people. And those people tend not to stay at the firm long. His octogenarian secretary notwithstanding. Pretty sure she was here before they built this place.”

Ben frowned. “What do you mean? Like, they quit?”

“Or something. I’ve never been able to get the full story. So, as you can imagine, we’re a little curious.” Sam said, interested.

Ben thought about how Hux had suddenly decided Ben was going to be his secretary out of nowhere. Did that count as taking an interest? “Um, I don’t know. I mean, he’s pretty… intense. He likes everything just so.” He caught sight of clock. “Speaking of which, it’s getting late. I’ve got to get out of here. See ya.”

Ben took his leave and headed down to the street. As he walked to the subway, he checked his watch. It was already five o’ clock, and Cushing Circle was pretty far away. He hoped he’d be able to make it there on time.

He couldn’t stop thinking about what Sam and Jim had said. Taking into account… what had happened last week, did that mean Hux had taken an interest in him? Or did he do that kind of thing all the time? Surely not, somebody couldn’t get away with doing something like that for long. If he really thought about it, though, it seemed to him like Hux couldn’t stand him. The guy was cold and distant, barely looked at him, barely talked to him. It just seemed to Ben like if Hux was interested, he would… crack a smile or something. He was pretty sure he didn’t count.

He made it down to the platform right as the train was about to pull away. He ran for it and just managed to slide inside and find a seat. While he waited, he got a text from Rey.

_we’re buying like ten buckets of fried chicken for din! come over!!! :)_

Ben sighed, really wishing he could. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had the time during the week to spend time on anything besides work. _Sorry. Work :(_

Rey shot back a reply almost immediately: _ughhh tell that hux guy to Fuck off! friends b4 paperwork! bros b4 hoes!! (hux is the ho in this scenario)_

Ben imagined telling Hux any of those things and shuddered. He would be eviscerated on sight.

_We’ve got a huge lawsuit and it’s all hands on deck. I wish I could come,_ he sent back.

Rey sent back the poop emoji. Ben smiled.

He was so busy looking at his phone that he almost missed his stop. He lunged for the doors and just made it out. After turning around a few times and trying to figure out which direction he was facing, Ben got headed in the right direction. He checked his watch. 5:40. He had to hurry.

He walked into the deli and realized two things at once. First, Hux hadn’t actually said if he could buy _himself_ dinner or not. The only people he really specified were him and Dawson. The second, more worrying realization was that Hux did not tell him his order. He almost pulled out his phone to call Hux, but stopped himself. Hux was perhaps the most meticulous person on the planet. If he hadn’t told Ben his dinner order, that was on purpose.

The clerk came out, a big, German guy, with huge arms. “Hey, what can I get you?”

Ben froze looking at the menu. It was an extensive, handwritten blackboard, and there appeared to be approximately six dozen options. What did Hux like? He had absolutely no idea. He didn’t really seem like a vegetarian kind of guy, so Ben immediately discounted anything that didn’t have meat, but after that, he didn’t know. After panic-scanning the board for a few seconds, he turned to the clerk.

“Um, weird question, but does a ginger guy in an expensive suit come in here a lot? He’s got neat hair and he looks sort of like an evil businessman in an ‘80s movie? Bit of an Irish accent?” Ben asked, going for a long shot that Hux was a regular and they knew his order.

The clerk gave him a weird look. “I’m sorry, do I look like a singles message board? Are you going to order something or not?”

Ben flushed. “Sorry, I’m just getting food for someone, but I don’t know what his order is.”

The clerk stared at him, like he was wondering how anyone let Ben out of the house in the morning. “You came into a restaurant to order, and expected the restaurant to know what your order is?”

“Okay, you know what? Never mind. I’ll just, uh, guess. I’ll take one meatball parmigiana and… I guess… what would you say your… fanciest sandwich is?” Ben asked, aware that he was wasting time.

“My lifespan is really and truly getting shorter while I stand here listening to you.” The clerk said, deadpan.

Ben ended up picking a lox, capers, and cream cheese sandwich for Hux. Too flustered to think of an order for himself, he ordered two of those, although he decided to pay for his sandwich himself. He took his wrapped sandwiches in the bag, apologized to the clerk, and ran out the door, wanting to get back to the subway as quick as he could. Unless he was extraordinarily lucky, he thought he was going to be late, although in his defense, it was almost impossible to get across town and back in the amount of time Hux had given him. He ended up squeezed onto a subway car between dozens of commuters excited to get home to their family and friends. Ben tried his best not to crush the sandwiches.

Once Ben got off the subway again, he decided to put away his pride and straight up run back to work. He only had a few minutes to spare, and he’d already pushed his luck with Hux enough. He nearly skidded to a halt outside Hux’s office with two minutes to spare. He took the time to brush back his sweaty hair and try to calm his breathing.

He walked into Hux’s office holding the sandwiches. Hux was typing something up on his laptop and looked up when he arrived. He looked surprised. “You’re on time.” He noted drily.

Ben tried to hide his out-of-breath state, although he was sure he wasn’t successful. He felt a flash of pleasure that Hux was satisfied with him that probably wasn’t healthy. “Yeah, I nearly didn’t make it. The subway was packed to the gills.”

Hux took the credit card and receipt from Ben, taking a look at it before looking in the bag. “I see three sandwiches in here, although you only paid for two.”

“Oh, right. You only told me to get something for you and Dawson, so I, uh, paid for my own dinner.” Ben said.

Hux looked up at him with a faintly patronizing expression. “Why would I send you out to get dinner if I didn’t expect you to get something for yourself?”

Now feeling like kind of an idiot, Ben shrugged. “You didn’t say anything, so I didn’t think…”

Hux tucked the credit card back into a drawer in his desk. “Well, you’ve saved the firm ten dollars. I’m sure everyone will be thanking you for your self-sacrifice.”

Ben flushed, but tried to hide it. He coughed and rubbed the side of his face. “Right, well, um, I realized that you didn’t tell me what you wanted, so I got you a lox sandwich? You know, uh, salmon?”

Hux gave him a withering look. “I know what lox is.”

Ben thought he should maybe just stop talking before he embarrassed himself further, so he stayed quiet while Hux pulled his sandwich out, handing the bag back to Ben. Ben watched while he unrolled it. He really hoped that Hux would be pleased with the choice, even as he wondered where this sudden desire had come from. Hux hadn’t told him what he wanted, so he couldn’t very well be annoyed if he didn’t like it. Regardless, Ben _really_ hoped he approved.

Hux examined the sandwich for a few moments. “Lox is usually more of a lunch sandwich.”

“Oh, well-” Ben started to launch into an explanation of his choice, but Hux held a hand up and actually _looked_ Ben right in the eyes. He so rarely made actual eye contact with him that Ben was startled into silence.

“If you would let me finish, I was going to say that although it’s more of a lunch sandwich, given the fact that sandwiches themselves are more of a lunch item, you’ve made a good choice. I was rather expecting some horrible tuna fish or something like it.” Hux said, his gaze, as usual, impenetrable.

Ben felt immense relief. He sighed and smiled. “Wow, I’m so glad to hear you say that. I was worried you weren’t going to like it, but I didn’t want to, you know, _bother_ you by calling.”

Hux continued to study him, a small smile on his face that Ben couldn’t decipher. “Well, carry on.”

“Right.” With a quick look behind him, Ben fled the office, hurrying downstairs so he could deliver the sandwich to Sam. He floated on Hux’s shadow of approval for the rest of the night. He didn’t even mind that he had to stay late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hux loves a good motivational exercise. Nothing like keeping your employees engaged, especially when they're overworked and pathologically desperate for approval from authority! :) More to come. Thanks for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

The rest of the week passed without incident. Ben only had to stay late three times this week, which felt like a bit of an accomplishment. To Ben’s relief, Hux went back to not noticing that he existed. They continued with their new normal, which was fine with him. He hadn’t been fired, and he could pretend that what had happened last Friday in Hux’s office hadn’t happened. It had been a strange, uncomfortable encounter, but it wouldn’t happen again. Things could get back to normal.

He even believed that for a while. In fact, nothing untoward happened for another two weeks. Ben worked hard, Hux seemed pleased with his performance, everything went well. If he was working twice as hard as he had before to avoid the strange scene in Hux’s office from happening again, so what? Hux had said he was doing it to motivate Ben, and Ben had to admit that it had worked.

All in all, Ben was lulled into a false sense of security. Hux didn’t make any more inappropriate advances on him, so hopefully he was right. It was just a one-time thing.

Ben continued to arrive to work fifteen minutes before Hux, with his extra-hot coffee placed carefully on his desk and all his requested files from the night before piled in his inbox. Hux didn’t ask him to go on any more strange personal errands for him.

The only thing that came close was he twice told Ben to go pick up his dry-cleaning. However, Ben thought this conceivably fell within his regular job duties, so it didn’t bother him too much. When he picked up the two tailored suit jackets from the cleaners, he couldn’t help running one hand down the fit, marveling at how smooth the silk was, how subtle the pattern. He couldn’t imagine being the kind of person who would feel confident enough picking out suits like this.

The only other thing that Ben noticed was that there were a few times when Hux would get very close to him; so close that Ben almost said something, but ultimately he wasn’t sure if Hux even realized he was doing it, and he certainly didn’t want to be the one drawing attention to it.

Once, Ben was working on a particularly dense brief with a lot of jargon that had to be proofed and then proofed again. Hux came in to see how it was going. Ben asked a question about a particular line, and instead of just standing behind Ben and looking at his screen, Hux stood behind him and then leaned down into Ben’s personal space, taking over the mouse and studying the screen. Ben froze, uncomfortable with how close Hux was to him. Hux didn’t even look over at him, completely absorbed with the problem at hand. Ben sat completely still, not wanting to bring attention to himself. He tried not to breathe, completely enthralled by how close Hux’s shoulder was to his. There was no actual contact, but they were so close the fact that Hux _hadn’t_ touched him felt very deliberate. Ben wondered if he should say something, or if he’d be outing himself as the one thinking strange, inappropriate thoughts about his boss. He told himself it was only a matter of expediency, that Hux didn’t mean to make him uncomfortable. It was foolish to expect that Hux thought about him at all outside of his function as his secretary.

He became obsessed with the twice-daily ritual of taking Hux’s coat and handing it back to him. As he took Hux’s coat off his shoulders, Ben thought about the heat he could barely feel coming off of his shoulders. He began to wonder what the neat, buzzed section of hair at the back of Hux’s head would feel like under his fingers. He was making himself crazy, but he didn’t know how to stop. He couldn’t be having these kinds of thoughts about his _boss_ , it was unprofessional and completely out of line, and he would be absolutely mortified if Hux found out.

All in all, he thought he was keeping these desperate thoughts from Hux pretty well. Whether he was still thinking about Hux late at night as he lay awake in bed with one hand between his legs was no business of anyone but him. Lots of people had stupid fantasies. It didn’t mean they wanted anything to happen in real life.

For the most part, Ben had managed to completely forget about the mortifying event in Hux’s office until two weeks after that. It was Friday, and he was looking forward to a movie night he, Rey, Finn, and Poe had been planning all week. This was a monthly ritual, full of drinking games, plenty of takeout and junk food. However, Ben had missed the last two because he’d had to work, so this one was special. They were all pretty excited about it. It had been the one bright spot in his week, the only thing sustaining him through ten-hour-days and crushing piles of work.

Ben was in the breakroom with Sam and Jim. They were eating lunch and he was just waiting for his coffee to be done. After their frosty first meeting, Ben’s sandwich run seemed to have softened things between them. They had become casual work friends, so he was telling them about the movie night.

Sam was trying to guess the movie when Ben noticed Hux across the room. He was deep in conversation with Phasma and didn’t even seem to notice that Ben was in the room, but he still felt vaguely guilty as he did whenever Hux caught him doing anything that wasn’t work. It wasn’t like he wasn’t allowed his mandated breaks, but his amorphous sense that Hux would disapprove made him want to get back to work. He wondered if Hux had overheard any of his conversation, but it didn’t look like he was paying any attention. Ben got his coffee, said goodbye to the guys, and headed back up to his desk.

Ben waited on tenterhooks for it to turn six o’clock so he could get out of there. He’d skipped lunch specifically so that he would have everything done so he could leave on time for once. With twenty minutes left in the day, really the only thing left to do was deliver billing reports to Hux, check his email, and then get out of there.

Ben gathered the reports up and stepped into Hux’s office to hand them to him. He’d waited specifically until he heard Hux get on a phone call, because he didn’t want to be interrupted with yet another project that meant he would have to stay late. Tonight, he was leaving on time come hell or high water.

He inched carefully into Hux’s office and placed the reports gingerly on the desk. Hux had the phone to his ear and was listening to the person on the other end, a frown on his face.

Ben thought he’d managed to get in and out without being noticed, but then Hux looked over at him and held a finger up in a silent demand to wait. Ben straightened up and stood there, bouncing on his heels a little in impatience. He angled himself toward the door so that it was obvious to Hux that he needed to leave.

Hux continued the conversation with this person, arguing back and forth about case strategies and defunct case law and scheduling. Ben kept glancing at the clock nervously, watching his time tick away. Five minutes turned into ten. He started to get really annoyed, wondering why it was so necessary that he stand here like a jackass while Hux had the world’s longest conversation. Couldn’t he just send him an email with whatever it was? Surely this could wait until Monday.

Finally, as Ben was considering actually leaving the room anyway, Hux hung up. Ben started to say something, but Hux held up a hand for him to wait. Ben seethed. God, he could just be such an ass.

After writing a note down on his pad of paper, Hux looked over at him coolly. “You don’t have any plans tonight, do you, Organa?”

“Um, well, actually, sir, I do, I’ve got this movie night with my friends that I was…” Ben said, already not liking where this conversation was going.

Hux interrupted him. “Yes, but surely nothing you can’t postpone on.”

Ben hesitated. He’d really been looking forward to this night all week, because he’d missed the last two, because he’d been _here._ He was turning over how exactly to phrase this without sounding like he was resentful. Hux beat him to the punch.

“I’m afraid your friends will have to do without your company tonight. I have need of you.” Hux said.

Ben bit his lip, trying to control his reaction. “We’re up to date on all our projects, sir. If anything, we’re ahead of schedule. Surely whatever it is can wait.”

Hux easily cut the wind from his sails with one sentence. “You’re coming to dinner with me.” He said it like a statement, not a question or invitation. _You’re coming_.

Ben blinked, awestruck and unsure how to respond. “I – I _am_?”

“Yes.” Hux said simply, watching Ben with an amused half-smile on his face, a cat with a mouse between his paws.

“Is… is there a client I forgot about? I would have remembered if there was a dinner on the schedule. Is that new?” Ben scrambled to pull out his phone and check his calendar, wondering how on earth he could have missed it.

“No, it’s not a client. Just me.” Hux said lazily. He was regarding Ben much as a scientist might watch some poor lab rat run around in an impossible maze.

Ben froze. This was… That was… “Um.” He said. Like an idiot.

“There’s no need to get bent out of shape. I had dinner plans, but unfortunately, my friend couldn’t make it. I don’t want to waste reservations to the Elk.” Hux smiled. He seemed to be in an uncharacteristically relaxed mood. Maybe it was the end of the week.

“The Elk?” Ben asked, not wanting to sound like a completely uncultured rube, but knowing pretending he did know what that was would only make him look worse.

“Yes. I don’t suppose you’ve heard of it?” Hux said, with a shark’s smile that spoke to the fact that he knew Ben hadn’t.

“Ah, no, sir, I can’t say that I have.” Ben shook his head.

“Well, then this can double as a lesson for you. I don’t mind dispensing with a lesson or two when needed.” Hux said. Ben wondered if he was purposely trying to make him think of that embarrassing event in his office or not.

Ben thought with dejection of the bags of chips and salsa he had left on his counter. He’d really been looking forward to tonight, but he didn’t know how he could turn down an offer like this.

“When should I be there?” Ben said finally, feeling like he had lost some invisible game of tug-and-war between them.

“Don’t worry about that. Just get home and find something nice to wear. I’ll pick you up.” Hux said.

Ben was distracted from the strange familiarity of that by another issue. “Wait, you know where I live?” The idea was a little unnerving.

Hux gave him a flat look. “It’s in your employee file, Organa.”

Ben laughed. “Oh. Right. Okay. When should I be ready?”

“I’ll let you know when I’ve arrived.”

“Right.” Ben really would have appreciated more of a time frame, but he wasn’t going to argue.

He left the office, feeling Hux’s eyes bore into his back as he went.

On his way home, Ben stared out the window and sighed, finally picking up his phone. He knew this wasn’t a text. He’d have to call Rey.

Rey picked up, the sound of a vacuum cutting off. “Hey hey! You on your way over? Can you actually stop off and get some popcorn on the way? I thought I had some but we’re all out.”

Ben pressed his forehead against the window. “Um, well, actually…”

Rey immediately understood. “Ben. Are you fucking kidding me? Again?” She asked, annoyed.

Ben traced the droplets of water rushing by on the outside of the window. It was lightly drizzling. He winced, hating disappointing people. “I know. I _know_ , okay? It wasn’t something I could refuse. I know you’re mad at me, and that’s understandable.”

“I’m not mad at _you_.” Rey said. “Okay, well, a little bit, yeah. Ben, you _have_ to quit that job! It’s not worth it. Seriously.”

“Rey, it’s a serious leg up. This could be my ticket. I was lucky to get hired in the first place, and I just think if I rough it out for a little while longer, I could move up the ladder or something.” Ben said.

“How _much_ longer? Because it seems to me like you’re killing yourself for this job, and your new boss had better appreciate how much you’re willing to do.” Rey sighed.

“I don’t know. I’m sorry.” Ben said quietly. He had his head in one hand with his eyes closed. The more he talked with Rey, the scummier he felt. He was _always_ canceling on her. He knew he hadn’t been a very good friend lately, and considering she was really his _only_ friend only made it sting even more.

“I don’t understand why this is so important to you. Can you at least tell me that?”

“I just… fuck up everything I ever try to do. I don’t know… That thing with Luke…”

“Wasn’t your fault. That was an accident.” Rey said adamantly.

Ben sighed and rubbed his face. “Yeah… I guess. But it just seems like anything I try to do just turns to shit. This… I want to do good. I _need_ to do good. Hux… He seems to see something in me. I think.”

Ben had always felt like a walking disappointment. His mom had wanted him to go into local politics like her, follow in the family business. His uncle Luke and his dad had given him a chance to help out with Luke’s store, maybe one day run the place, but he’d fucked that up too, quite spectacularly. Moving out here to the city and away from his family seemed like his one way to prove that he could make it on his own, that he could be his own man. The firm and Hux’s distant, hard-to-win approval seemed to be the best way to get there right now.

There was a long silence on the line. “Okay.” Rey said finally, sounding like she wanted to say more. Worst of all, she sounded _hurt_ , which drove ice through Ben’s heart. “Whatever. Next time… just don’t say you’re going to show up to something if you don’t plan on showing up. Bye.”

“Bye.” Ben hung up, squeezing his phone in his hand until the edges started to drive furrows into his skin. He felt like such a scumbag, but he had been stuck between a rock and a hard place, forced into a decision.

He got off at his stop and trudged up to his apartment, significantly less excited about this dinner than he’d been when he’d left work. Hux had better make this worth his time.

Ben was perched anxiously on his couch pretending to watch TV when his phone rang. He’d been home for two hours now, and each minute that passed had him more annoyed. If Hux had just told him a time when he was going to show up, he might have been able to go over to Rey’s for an hour, been able to salvage the evening just a little bit. Instead, he was sitting on his ass waiting on Hux’s pleasure. Of course, when it was _Hux’s_ time, he had to show up fifteen minutes early just so Hux wasn’t inconvenienced in the slightest. But when it was Ben’s time, Hux could just drop by any old time that he liked. Ben fumed.

He'd spent a solid half hour rooting around in his closet looking for something appropriate to wear. He’d panicked a little bit when he realized his stock of appropriate attire was pretty low. He basically had two types of clothes in his closet: white dress shirts and pants for work, and holey band t-shirts and threadbare old jeans for his personal time. He wasn’t really known for his fashion sense. He was usually happiest if he could get away with wearing the same clothes three days in a row. He wasn’t really sure what was expected of him in a situation like this, but he couldn’t wear a full suit out to dinner like he would to work, and he had the vague conception that Hux might burst into flame if he saw Ben wearing a t-shirt. This was the kind of situation where he would usually call Rey and ask for her advice, but he couldn’t now.

Ben had agonized for a while before settling on black pants and a navy-blue button down. Respectable enough for Hux, he hoped. He stared at himself in the mirror for a long time, doing his best to style his hair with his fingers and worried over how many buttons to button. He decided against buttoning it all the way up, because then he looked like a high schooler dressed up for a choir concert, but two buttons felt a little too suggestive for dinner with your boss. One button felt like a happy medium. He flushed when he realized he was fussing over his appearance like this was a date or something. This wasn’t a date. This was a business dinner.

When his phone rang, he scrambled and answered on the second ring, only then realizing that sounded a little desperate. “Hello?”

“I’m downstairs.” Hux said simply on the other end. Ben was going to respond but realized Hux had already hung up.

“Have you ever heard of texting?” Ben grumbled to himself as he slipped his shoes and coat on and locked up on his way out.

He stepped out onto the street, expecting to have to walk around the block looking for Hux. That was usually how it went in this neighborhood, since there wasn’t any parking. Instead, a sleek black car with silver wheels was parked directly in front of his building. Ben stepped up cautiously, peeking in the window to make sure it was Hux before getting in.

“Uh, you know this is a fire lane, right?” He said, settling back into the plush leather seat.

Hux sat behind the wheel, one hand casually slung over the wheel. He hadn’t changed his clothes from work beyond taking his tie off. He raised an eyebrow. “Yes. I’m aware.” He said coolly.

Ben fastened his seat belt. “Oh. I just didn’t want you to get a ticket or something.”

Hux laughed like he’d said something funny. “I’m not going to get a ticket.”

“…Right.” Ben said, realizing that Hux would probably just talk his way out of it or threaten to sue them if they gave him one. He had to remind himself that he and Hux lived in very different worlds.

Hux pulled smoothly away from the curb, barely glancing over when he switched lanes as if he were just expecting the other cars to get out of his way.

As Hux drove neatly through the city streets, Ben was fascinated by the luxury of the car. He didn’t know much about cars, but even he could tell this was a very nice one. The black leather seats, wood-paneled dashboard, and nearly silent engine clued him in. He wondered how much a car like this cost. Probably more than he made in three years.

Ben was quickly worn down by the silence in the car. He didn’t do good with silences, he always felt the need to fill them. “I’m surprised.” He said.

Hux kept driving like he hadn’t even heard Ben. Ben had noticed that Hux didn’t have a problem with silences. He used them to draw other people into saying more than they intended. Ben always fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

“I kind of thought you’d have a driver or something. Isn’t that what rich guys like you usually have? Some retired wrestler to drive you around?” Ben teased lightly, hoping Hux wouldn’t reach over and throw him out of the car for it. He was desperate to break the ice a little. Surely _something_ would make this guy lighten up a little.

Thankfully, Hux didn’t seem offended. “I like to do things myself. Why leave a job to someone else when I could handle it more efficiently on my own?”

“God, I don’t think I’ve even _been_ in a car since I moved here. I mean, I’ve been in Ubers or whatever, but not a person’s real car.” Ben noted, running his hand over the smooth paneling.

Hux took a right turn, and for a split second looked over at Ben. The neon lighting of a bar across the street suffused his face in a deep red light. “You don’t have a car?” He asked.

Ben laughed. “Oh, god, no. Who can afford one in a city like this? Nah, I just take the subway. It’s faster and way easier.”

“I have not been on the subway in years.” Hux mused as he sped up on the on-ramp to the freeway.

Ben wondered if this was the sum total of personal information he knew about Hux after weeks of working for him. He didn’t take the subway, owned a car, and had a friend that flaked on dinner with him. That was about it. In contrast, Hux knew a lot about him. He knew where he lived, for one. He knew what he looked like half-naked and kneeling on his office floor. Ben coughed and tried to stop thinking about that.

Another silence fell. Ben enjoyed the sight of the city speeding past the windows. He frowned a little once they passed downtown. He didn’t know where this restaurant was, exactly, but he’d sort of assumed it was a fancy place in the heart of the city.

“Where is this place, anyway?” He asked finally, curiosity winning out.

“Out of town,” was Hux’s only response.

“Wow, really?” Ben asked.

Hux didn’t warrant that question worth a response.

They drove for a while, leaving the lights of the city behind in favor of the suburbs, and then even those began to thin out. Hux drove at least ten miles faster than every other car on the road, but not for a second did he seem out of control or reckless. In his hands, this car was a perfectly-tuned machine.

Finally, Hux pulled off the main road to a black-top driveway that led up to what looked like a high-end golf club. The lighted sign out front read ‘The Elk’ in red lettering. Hux parked and got out, and Ben followed suit. This hadn’t been what he was expecting when Hux invited him to dinner. Or, well, ordered him to dinner. Whatever.

Hux hadn’t even waited, was already making his way toward the restaurant. Ben hurried to follow. “Wow. I’ve, uh, never been to a place like this. Is this the sort of place where they kick you out if you’re not wearing a tie?”

Hux glanced over at him briefly. “What you are wearing is… adequate.”

Ben fell silent, cursing himself for not having something nicer to wear. Maybe he _should_ have just kept his work clothes on.

The interior of the restaurant was low-lit and classy, quiet conversation from the high-end clientele suffusing the space. When they walked in, the host was having a hushed conversation with another waiter, but Hux walked up confidently and announced himself. “Reservation for Hux.”

The host startled, looked up their table, and smiled politely, leading them to the table. Ben got a lingering look from the host. As they made their way through the restaurant, Ben took a secretive glance around at the other patrons. Everyone else here obviously belonged here; they had tailored clothes, expensive watches, glittering jewelry, everything that spoke to the fact that they had never wanted for anything their entire lives. Ben pulled uncomfortably at his collar, knowing that in comparison, his clothes looked shabby and cheap. He didn’t belong here.

Once they were seated, Hux took a brief glance at the wine menu, but otherwise didn’t do the normal human thing of awkwardly scanning the menu to avoid conversation.

“So… would you recommend anything in particular?” Ben asked, paging through the menu and noticing that there weren’t any prices listed. He cringed internally, knowing that was a bad sign. He wondered if he was going to be expected to pay for his own dinner, and wondered if he could get away with ordering a salad or something.

“I usually order the special. The chef trained at Escoffier.” Hux said as if Ben should be expected to know what that meant.

When their waiter arrived, Ben was just planning on sticking with water, but Hux ordered two gin and tonics without consulting him. Ben grimaced internally. He hated gin.

“I figured you for more of a wine guy.” He said after their drinks arrived.

“I am, depending on the situation. Wine is best with food or directly after eating. Gin and tonics are a good palette cleanser before dinner.” Hux said, sipping his drink. He was looking at Ben with the same kind of intensity as he had that night in his office, the kind of gaze that made Ben wonder what exactly Hux wanted out of him.

Ben considered Hux. He looked somehow different out of the office. He still seemed as intent and in control as he ever did, but there was a leonine grace to him that he didn’t always exhibit at work. He had a face well-suited to cruelty, with pronounced cheekbones and a washed-out pallor that made him look like he was sculpted from marble. He seemed to be built exclusively of sharp edges; pointed eyebrows, tapered fingers, even his suit seemed assembled from lines and edges.

Not for the first time, Ben wondered what exactly a man like Hux wanted with him. He was still unclear what the point of this dinner _was_ , if Hux really had plans that fell through, or if this was about… something else.

Their food orders were taken. Hux ordered a steak with a lobster tail. Just the thought of what that would cost at a place like this had Ben wanting to shrivel up and die.

The waiter turned to him. “And you?”

Ben had agonized over his choice, trying to pick whatever was probably cheapest. “I’ll have the burger.” The description had said things like ‘herb-butter roll’ and ‘ground rib-eye and fatback’ but he figured a burger was a burger. That was his safest choice at a place like this.

He didn’t miss the instant of judgment on the waiter’s face. He was sure the burger was on the menu as an almost conciliation prize for the less-adventurous. Nobody actually ordered it at a place like this.

Before the waiter could write that down, Hux reached across the table and plucked the menu out of Ben’s hands, handing it to the waiter. “He’ll have the scallops with whatever the house vegetable is tonight.”

The waiter looked a lot more comfortable with that, jotting it down. “Right. Thank you, gentlemen.” He left.

Ben tapped the table with one finger, trying to control his initial irritation. “I’ve never had scallops before.” He said flatly, as close to a complaint he was willing to get with his boss.

“Well, you’ll never learn without trying new things. You don’t go to Barcelona to try their kimchi.” Hux said, finishing off his drink.

“That’s true.” Ben demurred. He guessed Hux had a point, although it had still been kind of a dick move to take his menu like that. He ran a thumb over the condensation of his drink. He had been forcing himself to drink some, but he really hated the taste of gin.

“So, uh… now that we’re here… What’s the occasion?” Ben asked. His curiosity over Hux had only grown.

“The occasion?”

“Well, sure. I assume you were celebrating something tonight. You made reservations and everything. Who’s the friend that flaked?” Ben asked.

“It was unavoidable.” Hux said neutrally. He was like a tar pit, impossible to pull anything out of him.

“Well, who was it? Like, your sister or something? Dad? Girlfriend? Boyfriend?” He tried not to leave a pause before he said ‘boyfriend’, but he’d stumbled over his words for a moment.

When Hux found something amusing, he had a habit of not quite smiling, but his eyebrows would lift and lips twitch for a moment, like he was thinking of a joke the other person couldn’t possibly understand. He was doing that now. “Organa, are you asking me if you are replacing a date?”

Ben flushed crimson. “ _No!_ ” He protested. “I’m just, trying to figure out what I’m doing here. You’re very hard to read.”

“There is no need to give ammunition to one’s enemies needlessly. That’s a lesson you might want to apply for yourself.” Hux said, flat voice holding hidden currents that if Ben could only decipher he could understand him more.

“Me?”

“Yes. In contrast to me, you are… an open book. If we’re sticking to your metaphor.” Hux took a careful sip of water.

Ben frowned. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me!” He protested.

Hux smiled. “I never said there wasn’t. I was just commenting on the fact that you might want to consider… guarding your emotions a little more. Some people might take advantage, if you’re not careful.”

Ben tried to hide the instinctive flash of hurt that crossed his face, knowing that all he was doing was supporting Hux’s argument, which just pissed him off even more. The annoyance that Hux had made him miss his movie night with his friends came roaring back.

“I don’t understand why I’m here.” Ben said, petulant this time instead of his usual wide-eyed indecision. “Do you usually just subtly insult your dinner guests?”

Hux’s small smile returned at Ben’s sudden bite. Instead of seeming offended, he looked pleased. “Not at all. I asked you here tonight because I’d like to get to know you better. We spend so much time together in the office that I would feel more confident if I knew how you ticked. So to speak.”

Ben was so neatly herded away from getting pissed off that he didn’t even notice the smooth manipulation. “Oh,” he said a little sheepishly. “I thought you just wanted someone to bring you coffee and file your reports on time. You can be a little, er… intimidating.”

“Comes with the territory, I’m afraid.” Hux said, eyes like cool stones.

“Well, um, what would you like to know?” Ben asked, forgetting for the moment that part of his problem was the fact that Hux knew too much about him already, and he knew nothing in return.

“Whatever you wish to share.” Hux said, and Ben was so momentarily touched by his boss’ apparent interest in him as a person that he chose to see this as a thawing of the ice rather than a calculated move to lower his guard.

“Okay. Well, if you’re serious about all this, I much prefer being called Ben. Organa just sounds like… I’m next in line at the DMV or something.” Ben said. Hux had never once called him by his first name, as far as he could recall. He probably would have noticed.

Hux nodded noncommittally. Ben didn’t know if that was agreement or not, but he just plunged on. “Well, I don’t know how much of this is already in my file, but, uh, I’m from Colorado. Grew up in a small town, my mom’s the mayor. I’m an only child. Went to school in Denver, and then I decided I wanted to live somewhere where people outnumbered horses, so decided I’d give the city a shot. I followed my friend Rey out here, she’d been living here for a few years already. And uh, it just stuck. So, here I am.”

“Only child. Interesting.” Hux mused as if that explained something about him. Ben was about to ask him what that comment meant when their food arrived.

Right away, Hux dug into the steak he’d ordered, slicing neat strips off and eating them. Ben stared down at his plate full of scallops. They looked like they’d been sautéed in butter, but he’d never really eaten one before. Didn’t know how they’d taste. He took a careful bite and made an embarrassing sound. They were delicious. Better than a burger, that was for sure. Maybe Hux had made a good choice, as annoying as it had been.

“So… does this mean I can start calling you Armitage?” Ben said, half-teasing and half trying to feel Hux out, see if he’d made any progress at all.

Hux set his fork down neatly and dabbed at his mouth with his napkin. “No.” He said. He didn’t soften the blow with a laugh or a joke, like most people would have. Just a simple negation. Not for the first time, Ben felt the power differential between them. Ben was offering up personal information like currency while Hux kept everything close to the vest.

Ben picked listlessly at his food. This dinner was increasingly strange. “So now that I’ve kind of, uh, vomited up my life story at you, um, are you from around here?”

“Yes,” Hux said simply, swirling his wine around in his glass and watching the color. He didn’t bother to offer up any more information.

Ben took a big bite of food to hide his reaction. For somebody who said he arranged this dinner for them to get to know each other, Hux was treating this more like a one-sided interrogation than a conversation. Hux neatly undercut everything Ben had tried to do since they’d gotten here, but Ben himself hadn’t learned anything.

Ben decided to fall back on a topic of conversation he hoped was open: work. “What about you and the other partners? Did you know each other before starting the firm?”

“Phasma and I have known each other for a long time, but we only recently partnered with Snoke.” Hux said. And that was it. He didn’t bother to tell Ben how he and Phasma knew each other, when they decided to start a firm, why they needed a third partner. All the normal parts of a conversation that Hux seemed to be bypassing.

Hux cut off Ben’s next question with one of his own. “Do you live alone?”

“Yeah.” Ben responded. He thought he would try reticence on for size, give Hux a taste of his own medicine. He was starting to weary of this stilted dinner and the strange conversation. He could have been with his friends tonight, but instead he was trying to decipher his boss’s strange moods. Like he didn’t get enough of that at work.

“A place like that seems expensive. I’m surprised you can afford it.” Hux said, the potential insult of the condescension of his comment undercut by the flat way he put it.

“It’s a little pricey, yeah, but I wanted someplace that was really mine.” Ben said, cursing himself internally. Wasn’t he going to stop answering Hux’s questions? Why couldn’t he stop himself?

Before he could come up with something he could lob at Hux, Hux had asked him another personal question he felt compelled to answer.

The conversation continued like that. Every time Ben tried to wiggle his way out, to turn the tables on Hux, he found himself neatly outmatched. Hux was an attorney, he was skilled at rhetoric, at getting other people to reveal too much against their best interests. Ben didn’t stand a chance. He found himself telling Hux quite a bit that he never would have imagined he would reveal to his boss, about his essential loneliness growing up, about how his drive to move to the city had less to do with a desire for change but the necessary result of his alienation from his family.

He couldn’t seem to _stop_ himself from answering Hux’s questions, and he wasn’t sure why, thought it was a combination of Hux’s magnetic personality and the wine he was encouraged to drink. Ben could feel his cheeks heating up, knew he was getting more tipsy than he would ever want to be in front of his boss.

Throughout it all, Hux revealed nothing. He steered the conversation along the lines he wanted, never slipping up, never faltering, cool and unknowable, everything Ben wasn’t. Ben found himself feeling uncomfortable, wanting to stop, but he didn’t know how to get out of it without being unspeakably rude.

Finally, he just went for the abrupt. He pushed his chair in and stood up, realizing with horror that he was swaying on his feet a little. “I have to go to the bathroom. Excuse me.” He said, fleeing from the table like he was being chased.

Ben slammed open the bathroom door and leaned over the sink, splashing cold water on his face. He hadn’t realized just how tipsy he really was until he stood up and got away from Hux. His head was a little cottony, and he was more unstable on his feet than he would have liked. He stayed in the bathroom until he felt a little steadier. This night couldn’t be over fast enough.

He was making his way back to the table when he saw Hux talking to what was probably the manager of the restaurant. They hadn’t seen him. He caught the tail end of their conversation.

Hux was talking. “I wanted to thank you for being so flexible as to fit me in at the last moment. I know this is a busy night for you.”

Ben was right around the corner out of sight. He could see and hear Hux, but Hux didn’t know he was there.

“Of course, Mr. Hux. After the trouble you got us out of last year, you have a table whenever you’d like.” The manager answered.

Ben frowned. Last minute? Hux had told him he’d already had reservations that had fallen through. Had he lied to him?

Hux smiled his sharp smile. “That was just business. You’re the only place in town willing to fit in a reservation if they call at the end of the day.”

Ben felt an uncomfortable jolt. Hux had called to place the reservation at the end of the day? After he’d already forced Ben to come? Why? If this hadn’t been a dinner of convenience like Hux had said, what was the purpose of this? Ben flashed back to his conversation with Sam and Jim in the breakroom. Maybe Hux _had_ overheard him. Maybe the only reason he’d invited him here was because he heard he already had plans tonight. Ben felt a nervous squirming in his stomach. Why? All of a sudden, the full weight of how uncomfortable it had been when Hux had kept him behind in the office two weeks ago flowed over him again. The dregs of his common sense rose up and told him to get out of there.

Hux and the manager had wrapped up their conversation, and Hux was looking at the dessert menu when Ben got up the courage to turn the corner. Walking past their table was the only way to the door. He walked right up to the table and grabbed his jacket, didn’t even bother to sit down.

“Anyway, thanks for dinner, it was really great, but I have to go.” Ben stammered really quickly, backing up from the table even as he said it.

Hux looked up at him, annoyed confusion crossing his face. “Excuse me? We’re in the middle of dinner, Organa.”

“Yeah, I just got a call, there’s a, uh, family emergency. I’m really sorry, but I’ve gotta…” Ben trailed off, turning and walking swiftly for the door. He didn’t glance behind him, worried he’d see Hux stalking after him. He half-expected Hux to shout across the restaurant and force him to stay.

Of course, he didn’t do that, and Ben escaped the oppressive atmosphere of the restaurant, emerging into the cool evening air. Ben strode quickly through the parking lot and toward the long drive to the road.

Something about the cold air out here cleared his head of his wine buzz, and he started to tense up. What had he just done? He’d served to severely piss off his boss, that’s what. He was so fucked.

Ben was breathing a little heavily by the time he reached the road. He didn’t really know where he was going, just turned right and started walking, figuring he’d get to town soon enough. Dark trees pressed down on him from either side of the road.

Hux had _lied_ to him, had practically forced him to come to this weird dinner with him, at the last minute, probably because he’d overheard Ben’s plans. Why the hell would Hux care what Ben was doing with his Friday night? They barely knew each other. Ben knew it was crazy, but it was almost as if the purpose of taking him to dinner was to keep him from going to the movie night with his friends. He knew that probably wasn’t true, there was no reason for that, but it didn’t stop the idea from being planted in his head.

Ben now felt even shittier for having bailed on Rey. He had to admit that she might be right about this job. The only thing that had happened tonight was Hux grilling him for personal information and giving him nothing in return.

At the thought of Rey, Ben’s thoughts turned to what the hell he was going to do to get home. Leaving the restaurant had been fairly impulsive. Hux had driven him here, and it occurred to him now too late that he was pretty much in the middle of nowhere. He had been hoping for a gas station or strip mall he could wait in while he called a ride. Instead, he was just walking down the cold road in darkness.

Ben pulled his phone out, intending to call a ride, and just hoped they could use his GPS to find out where he was. However, when he pressed the button to turn the screen on, nothing happened. He paused, cold breath hovering in front of him. He pressed the button again. His phone was dead. He’d forgotten to charge it before he left.

“ _Fuck!_ ” Ben shouted, shoving his phone back in his pocket and continuing to walk.

He cursed Hux for getting him into this situation. If Hux had just taken him to a restaurant in the city, Ben could have just gotten on the subway, no problem, gone over to Rey’s apartment, apologized, and made up with her. Instead, he was trudging down a country road at night miles away from any form of public transportation.

He marched on for another few minutes, righteous indignation keeping him from feeling the cold. However, he kept walking, and _still_ didn’t see any sign of civilization. He hadn’t been paying attention to the way here, and without his phone, couldn’t look it up. He was fucking lost, fucking stranded, all because of his controlling, creepy boss.

He walked on, his toes starting to get cold and his feet starting to ache. He pulled his coat closed around him, but was still cold.

Ben began to look at the cars passing him on the road. He supposed that technically hitchhiking was a thing people did. He wondered if he could get somebody to stop and let him in. All he needed was to get back to the outskirts of the city. He could figure it out from there. He knew the subway system pretty well.

On the other hand, he was worried that the first person who agreed to pick him up would drive him out to a quarry, chop his head off, and bury him in an unmarked grave.

Before Ben could make up his mind, a car pulled off the road ahead of him, slowed and parked. It was too dark to see what kind of car it was, just the glaring red taillights.

Ben intended to just keep on walking past whoever this was, but as he drew level with the car, he recognized it as Hux’s. _Shit_. His stomach dropped.

The passenger side window was open, and Ben could see Hux sitting behind the wheel, looking at him unsmilingly. It was too dark to really judge his mood.

“Were you really planning on walking all the way back home, Organa? Just to prove a point? Don’t be ridiculous. That will take you all night.” Hux said flatly.

Ben knew he was right, but delayed warning bells were going off in his head. His lizard brain could somehow sense accepting a ride from Hux right now would be dangerous, would be another point against him in the strange sliding scale of their unbalanced relationship.

“I’m fine. Thank you for the ride here, sir, but I can take care of myself.” Ben said, marching on. Hux drove slowly to stay level with him.

“What exactly is your purpose here? I don’t make it a habit of chasing after my employees. You don’t want me to abandon you by the side of road, so just spit out whatever it is.” Hux said, obviously irritated.

Ben stopped suddenly, and Hux stepped on the brakes quickly to compensate. Ben thought that was the first time in their entire acquaintance he’d managed to catch Hux off guard, even a little. He turned to face Hux through the window, righteous indignation puffing him up.

“You lied to me. There was no friend that cancelled on you for dinner. You overheard me in the breakroom telling the guys I had plans for the night, and _then_ you decided to make me come to this!” Ben accused Hux, arms crossed in front of his chest.

Hux looked at him, face still bathed in shadow. He didn’t deny it, just kept watching Ben.

Ben’s mouth dropped open. “So you admit it! _Why_?”

“I don’t make it a habit of explaining myself to my subordinates.” Hux said silkily, hands comfortably at ten and two on the steering wheel.

Ben huffed in irritation and kept walking. Fuck Hux. He’d walk all night, if that’s what it took. Hux drove ahead of him again, and this time, pulled to the right a little bit to block Ben’s path. Ben drew to a halt and crossed his arms.

“What is your problem?” He demanded, annoyed and past the point where he’d try to hide it.

“Organa, get in the car. You’re not going to walk all the way home, and we both know it. It’s cold, you’re tired, and you’re not thinking straight. Whatever personal quarrel we have can be resolved at a later time. I’m not going to abandon you by the side of the road.” Hux said calmly.

Hux’s calm demeanor only served to piss Ben off even more. How did Hux get away with framing Ben’s very reasonable annoyance as childish and petulant? “No, thank you.” He spit out, tone accusatory.

Ben started to walk around Hux’s car. This time, Hux didn’t move to intercept him. He just called after him. “Walk away again and I will leave you here.”

Ben stopped in his tracks. He wasn’t even sure why. He’d already said he was going to find his own way home. He didn’t know why Hux laying down an ultimatum like that would make him pause. Maybe because it made it more real.

What were his choices, realistically? If Hux left, he would have to either hope someone would come along willing to give him a ride, or walk blindly until he found civilization. Those both seemed like drastic options, and some of Hux’s calm had begun to worm into Ben. Maybe he _was_ overreacting a little bit. It was probably stupid of him to turn down his only way home.

After standing there for a few moments, Ben stalked around the side of the car, opened the passenger door, and got in. The dome light clicked off, and the two of them sat in silence for a while, the only illumination the dim glow of the dashboard.

When Ben didn’t say anything, Hux pulled away from the curb. They cruised through the night in silence.

When the lights of the city finally appeared ahead of them, Hux finally spoke up. “If you really had these kinds of concerns, you could have brought them up with me, at the restaurant, instead of storming out halfway through dinner. That was very rude. I suppose you expected me to pay for your dinner as well.”

Ben flushed. He hadn’t even _thought_ of that, had been too pissed off by his revelation. “Do I owe you anything?” He asked, already dreading how much this was going to cost him.

“No. I was going to pay for the dinner, although I generally prefer my dinner guest stay for the whole thing.” Hux noted drily.

Ben felt shame squirm in his stomach. Hux was right. He _had_ been a little rude. Maybe if he’d just brought it up, Hux could have given him an explanation. Instead, he’d freaked out and stormed out, and now things were very weird between them. He’d shouted at his boss and stormed out of the room, all unacceptable behavior. Ben shrank down in his seat, feeling like an idiot.

They drove in silence until they arrived back at Ben’s apartment building. It was late, and the streets were pretty empty around them. Ben couldn’t get out of the car fast enough, his irritation and embarrassment making it too much for him to look at Hux.

Hux watched him get out of the car. “I’ll see you on Monday, Organa. We’ll be having a discussion about your attitude. I suggest you do some thinking about whether this is really how you want to behave around me.”

Ben grunted in vague reply and slammed the door, practically running for the door. It was only as he stood in the elevator on the way up to his floor that he realized how deftly Hux had steered the conversation away from his own wrongdoing and lie.

Ben had started the ride irritated at Hux, but ended it ashamed and apologetic for a situation that Hux had caused, and Hux had shifted Ben’s focus so deftly that he hadn’t even noticed until he was out of Hux’s presence.

Rey was right. He had to quit this job.

Ben kicked his shoes off in his apartment and plugged his phone in. When it turned on, he waited for the cavalcade of messages he usually had waiting from Rey and the guys, keeping him updated even if he couldn’t make it. He didn’t have any messages waiting. Rey was clearly still mad at him.

Ben put his phone down, deciding to go to bed even though it wasn’t that late. In the span of only a few hours, he’d managed to piss off his best friend _and_ his boss, to the point where he wasn’t sure how to make it up to either of them. He was sure Hux would have some creative ideas.

Ben groaned into his pillow, hating himself for fucking everything up without even trying. Maybe getting murdered while trying to hitchhike wouldn’t have been the worst thing ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ben... buddy... you have to learn to trust your instincts! Trying to separate you from friends and loved ones definitely isn't a red flag or anything, is it?


	4. Chapter 4

Hux stood in Snoke’s office on Sunday morning across from Phasma, listening to Snoke rant and rave about a minor case one of the associates had lost this last week. He was really working himself into a fervor, face red and sweaty. He’d been advocating for firing the associate on the spot, and Phasma had to explain to him that this was a relatively small issue, and there were still opportunities to turn the situation to their advantage.

Hux let Phasma do most of the convincing, standing back a bit. He was especially skilled at concealing his true feelings, but even his immense skill was tested whenever he was in the same room as Snoke. He found him particularly loathsome, but as it wouldn’t be in his best interests to let that be known, he had to keep that under wraps. Hux had a long game, and he intended on playing it to the end.

Eventually, even Phasma’s powers of persuasion failed, and she faltered a little. Hux spoke up. “Snoke, I really don’t know why we had to meet about this on a Sunday. We lost a battle. That doesn’t mean we’ll lose the war.”

Snoke turned to Hux with a sneer. He was sitting down at his desk, and even though he hadn’t moved, he was somehow out of breath. Hux was morbidly fascinated with how red Snoke’s face was getting. If he keeled over from a heart attack right now, it might save a lot of people some grief, although Hux had to admit he would be a little disappointed. He was looking forward to striking the killing blow himself.

“I don’t tolerate weakness, Hux, and I’m a little surprised to hear you do.” Snoke said, voice nasal and unpleasant.

Through long practice, it was very easy for Hux to keep his expression cool and impassive. “I don’t, but you of all people should know how valuable contrition can be. Galway knows he let us down. That just means he’s going to work four times harder in the future to make it up. He’s new. This was his first offense.”

“This was a tough case. We were on the back foot the whole time. It was a long shot that we would have won it, even if it were one of us who took charge. The other side had Valencia working for them. She’s relentless.” Phasma said. Even in the office, she had to demonstrate how little regard she felt for propriety. On her day off, when there were no associates or staff around to impress, she wore a red tracksuit with her throat bared. She would probably wear that kind of thing every day if there weren’t standards of propriety to follow.

“If we keep him on, Galway will be in our debt. And he’ll know it,” Hux said. “Don’t underestimate how powerful that kind of hold can be on someone.”

Hux couldn’t respect anyone who wasn’t able to see beyond the next bump in the road. Snoke was bullish and short-sighted. All he cared about was winning _now_ , in the moment. This made him relentless and ruthless, powerful in court and in the office. However, he seemed incapable of taking the long view, which Hux could only hope would prove to be his undoing.

“I’m with Hux on this one. We put Galway in the hot seat, put the fear of God into him, let him know he’s on the verge of being let go. If he’s good, he’ll bounce back and be a greater asset in the future. This case wasn’t that important. This is an opportunity, not a defeat,” Phasma drawled, sounding almost as if she didn’t care about any of this.

Hux knew better. Phasma was more like him than Snoke. They’d known each other for a long time, and although he would never admit it out loud, he wouldn’t have gotten as far as he had without her help.

Snoke knew when he was beat, but he always had to have the last word. He turned to Hux with a cruel glint in his eyes. “Did you learn about that first-hand? Still doing your father’s bidding, I assume?”

This time, Hux was unable to hide the flash of hatred and revulsion that crossed his face. There was really only one topic of conversation that could draw that kind of reaction from him, and Snoke knew it. Snoke saw his face and smirked.

Hux’s voice carried a thread of fury. “This,” he made a circular motion to indicate the three of them as a group, “only works so long as we keep history out of it. I don’t mention your chronic adultery, you don’t mention my family. We’re colleagues, that’s all. We’ve decided this firm works best when we’re all on the same page. I suggest you keep a civil tongue in your mouth.”

Snoke leaned back with an infuriating pleased look on his face. He’d lost the argument, but succeeded in rattling Hux. That was all he cared about.

Hux straightened up and checked his watch. “Now, it’s Sunday, and I have things to do. I’ll be in for the deposition tomorrow.”

Hux walked out of the room, trying to hide his fury. Once he was in the elevator going down to the ground floor, he ground his teeth together and clenched his fists. Snoke was a loathsome cockroach, and it was difficult to keep that revulsion to himself. He had to keep reminding himself that he would be ruining years of work if he let his emotions cloud his judgment. He had a plan. He was going to stick to it.

He was making his way to his car when he heard heavy footsteps jogging up behind him. He turned to see Phasma coming up, at ease here as she was everywhere.

“Surprised you didn’t sock him one,” Phasma laughed, joining him and lighting up a cigarette from her pocket.

Hux sighed. He had so much tension built up now that he had to do something with. “Too much is at stake. You know that.”

Phasma took a long drag and blew a thoughtful smoke ring up into the air. Hux watched it rise up to mingle with the gray air of the city.

“I’m surprised you didn’t bring your new toy with you. Thought you would’ve left him out here and cracked a window,” Phasma smiled crookedly.

Hux quirked a half-smile. “Early days, Phasma. I’m still working on him.”

Phasma’s reminder brought Hux’s mind back to Ben Organa. His new project. He didn’t like how they’d left things on Friday. It was unfortunate that Ben had overheard his conversation with the restaurant manager. That had set the night back in a direction he hadn’t wanted. He had meant for Ben to be flattered by his attention. And he had been. To begin with. Fostering Ben’s desire for his approval and interest at the early stage was so important.

Phasma could tell he was mulling things over, so waited in silence for him to gather his thoughts. They knew each other quite well by now. She smoked and practiced her smoke rings.

“I think I might have… overstepped. Moved too quickly.” Hux admitted to Phasma. She was the only person alive that he would admit even this small amount of uncertainty to.

Hux thought about Ben’s flushed, irritated face as he paced down the dark highway to get away from him. That wouldn’t do at all. He needed Ben to be hanging on his every word at this stage, unsure of his intentions but jumping over himself to fulfill expectations.

Phasma shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. “Well, if he’s not going to work out, you can always find another one. We don’t need him specifically.”

“No…” Hux said thoughtfully, considering how pleasing it had been to watch Ben acquiesce to his instructions, undress and sink to his knees in his office. His huge, uncertain eyes trained up on Hux’s, begging silently for direction, for approval. Hux shivered at the memory. It had taken all he had not to abandon all pretense and touch him right there, make him cry and beg. He wanted to know what Ben would look like writhing in his bed, debauched and desperate. “I like this one.”

“Then you need to fix it. Give him something to hang onto,” Phasma said, like it was a simple solution.

“You always give such good advice,” he said drily.

Phasma ground her cigarette out with her foot and slapped him on the back. She was the only one who could get away with that. “Well. Get cracking.”

Hux huffed. “What are you doing today?”

She grinned. “Headed over to Valencia’s penthouse. You’d never think it to look at her, but that woman is a maniac in bed.”

“Ah,” Hux nodded. The two of them were the only ones that knew about that particular fling. He wished Phasma farewell and got into his car. After tapping his fingers on the steering wheel for a moment and thinking, he pulled out and headed toward Ben’s apartment. He had work to do.

* * *

The rest of Ben’s weekend passed like usual, although he couldn’t concentrate on anything. He’d thought on it and decided enough was enough. He would quit his job come Monday. This situation was just too strange, the more time he spent with Hux, the more miserable he got. He’d been hoping becoming Hux’s assistant would mean the possibility of being promoted in the future, getting new responsibilities, but he’d so thoroughly fucked up his relationship with Hux that he was sure Hux didn’t want anything to do with him. He’d probably show up to work on Monday and realize his new desk was in the basement.

He didn’t have the heart to call Rey, but figured he could call her on Monday and tell her he’d quit his job, ask if they could start over. She’d probably jump for the moon.

Thus, it wasn’t in great spirits that Ben woke up that Sunday. He went out for groceries, cleaned and vacuumed, and halfheartedly went for a run before deciding to make a dinner that wasn’t microwaved for once. He was really just looking forward to getting tomorrow over with. Once he’d quit, his life would get a whole lot easier, although he would have to find a new job and a new place to live almost immediately.

Ben was sitting listlessly on his counter stool waiting for water to boil when he heard a knock at his door. He stood up, confused because anyone he was really expecting would have to call first so he could buzz them in.

He opened the door to see Hux standing there. Ben froze.

“What are you doing here?” He blurted out.

Hux raised an eyebrow. He was wearing what for him seemed almost casual clothing: navy blue slacks, oxford shoes, and a silk shirt. He was fully clothed, but it seemed strange to see him out of his usual suit and tie. “And good afternoon to you too, Organa.”

Ben blushed. He couldn’t seem to stop sticking his foot in his mouth around this guy. “S-sorry. Um. How are you?”

Hux trained his cool eyes on Ben, his blank gaze that always served to make him nervous. He always seemed faintly amused, like Ben had done something embarrassing and didn’t realize it. “May I come in?” He asked politely.

Ben looked back at his ill-furnished apartment and his heart started beating faster. He didn’t really want Hux seeing where he lived; it was surely nowhere near as impressive as wherever Hux lived. However, he couldn’t really refuse either. He opened the door wider. “Uh. Yeah. Sure. Come on in.”

Hux strolled into Ben’s apartment with a critical eye, hands in his pockets as he walked into the central area and took a look around. Ben stood there nervously while Hux assessed his apartment. He didn’t really know why he cared at all. It wasn’t like it _mattered_ what Hux thought of his apartment. He was going to quit tomorrow, and then he’d never have to see this guy ever again. Ben could live in a sweaty commune with twelve other people for all it mattered to Hux. However, he couldn’t help that little part of him that just wanted to _impress_ Hux.

“You know I was surprised to learn that you were living in this building, Organa. It’s fairly pricey for someone like you; however, now I understand. Is that couch from IKEA?” Hux pointed at Ben’s admittedly shitty, cheap couch.

Ben puffed up with righteous indignation. Hux had been in here for approximately two minutes, and he was already making snide remarks. “And what if it is? It’s cost-effective.”

Hux smiled. “There’s no need to be offended. I am merely interested in your desire to live outside of your means. Are you trying to impress someone?”

_Yeah. You_ , Ben’s traitor brain said, but he shoved that away. “Sir, why are you here?” He asked again.

Hux rocked on his heels for a moment, looking deep in thought. “It occurs to me that we may have left things in a fairly… tense place the other night. I wanted to come and see how we could patch things up.”

Ben was silent, frankly shocked that Hux was willing to show up and admit fault, but still not willing to thaw just yet. “It’s, fine, sir, really.” He muttered, not having the courage to air his grievances here, when Hux had invaded his private space. He’d been planning on showing up to work on Monday and really giving Hux a piece of his mind, but he felt off-kilter with Hux in his space.

Hux looked at him with that knowing, amused expression. “You seemed to feel differently on Friday night.”

Ben rubbed the back of his neck, a little embarrassed at how he’d blown up at Hux like that, even if his grievance was legitimate. “Yeah, I kind of acted like a moron. Sorry…”

“I’d like you to speak freely.” Hux said, taking a few steps closer. Ben was fascinated by the smooth, clean way that Hux moved; even in this space which belonged to Ben, Hux seemed much more comfortable in it, more comfortable in his skin than Ben could ever hope to be. Ben both envied and admired that kind of confidence all at the same time.

Ben took a moment to think. There was a vast gulf between what Hux was saying and what Ben suspected to be true. It would be dangerous to speak his mind to Hux, no matter how pleasant and amenable he was being now.

But, since he was quitting anyway, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to just share a little bit. “It’s just… I don’t get you. At work, I always feel like I’m two seconds away from getting fired, so I was a little relieved when you invited me to dinner. I thought… I don’t know, that I was making a good impression, but then when we got there, you were just grilling me like I was being interrogated, it was… I don’t know. I’m just a little confused. I never know where I stand with you.”

Ben cursed himself for sounding so needy. He really hadn’t meant to say that much, but there was something about Hux that just drew these confessions out of him.

Hux was watching him impassively. “I find you to be a fairly competent assistant. I think you have… promise.”

Ben rolled his eyes a little. “Well, gee, _thanks_.” He said, looking down at the ground and scuffing his foot against the carpet. “I’m glad I have promise sending emails and picking up your dry cleaning.”

“You misunderstand me.” Hux said. “Ben, look at me.”

Ben looked up, startled. Hux had never called him by his first name before. It sent a not unpleasant shiver through him.

Hux seemed to be standing closer all of a sudden. Ben stood up a little straighter.

“I am a very busy man, with very limited time and resources. I don’t waste my time on people who aren’t worth it.” Hux’s eyes were piercing and trained right on him. Ben couldn’t have looked away even if he’d tried. “You _interest_ me. I’m not a man so easily interested.”

Ben tried to speak and found his throat was dry. He cleared it. “You mean, as an assistant?” He fairly squeaked.

Hux took a step closer. Ben could see the fine hairs on Hux’s arms. His back was pressed against the counter. He felt cornered.

“You’re not stupid. Don’t act like it.” Hux reprimanded.

Ben swallowed.

Hux took a step closer, resting his hands on the counter to either side of Ben’s waist, boxing him in. Ben leaned back, unable to get a full breath into his lungs. This was happening, this was really happening. He kind of wanted to run away, but couldn’t imagine moving.

Hux smiled as he took in Ben’s awestruck, frozen position, his white face and wide eyes. They still hadn’t touched, but they were so close Ben could feel the heat from Hux’s body. Their chests were just inches apart.

Hux lifted a hand and ran two fingers along Ben’s throat, scraping his Adam’s apple and then exerting a steady pressure under his chin to lift his face to Hux’s.

Every nerve ending in Ben’s body felt like fireworks were going off. He let out a strangled sound that only widened Hux’s smile. Hux was touching him, he was really _touching_ him. He’d imagined what it would feel like on those long, sleepless nights the past few weeks, the ones that he didn’t like to admit to in the morning. It was completely inappropriate, it was _wrong_ , Hux was his boss, he was probably taking advantage of him, they needed to talk about this, they needed some ground rules or _something_ , this was the kind of thing people warned you about, this was–

Every single thought in Ben’s head stuttered out all at once as Hux leaned in and kissed him. Sirens went off in his mind unheeded, and all he could do was stand there. His hands were clenched white-knuckled around the edge of the counter behind him, tailbone pressing against the hard edge. He was one line of tension from his chin down to his toes.

Hux wasn’t warm, like Ben had imagined, or with a hidden softness as yet unseen. He was hard like marble, cold and unyielding. His lips pressed against Ben’s, and Ben parted to let him in, too surprised to stop him. He didn’t even close his eyes, too out of sorts to do anything but gape.

The only point of contact between them was their lips, Hux’s authoritative fingers under his chin. Ben thought about putting his hands around Hux’s waist, pulling him in closer, but the idea seemed somehow to be crossing some invisible line, be somehow unacceptable in a strange way he couldn’t explain. There was a strange spell in this room, and Ben was loath to break it.

Hux pulled back slowly, a wolfish smile on his face. He pressed up on Ben’s chin for a moment, baring his throat, then released him. He stepped back, and Ben immediately deflated, feeling like he had just stepped back from a cliff’s edge.

He stared at Hux, absolutely speechless. He should tell him they couldn’t do this anymore, he should tell him he was quitting, he should tell him any of a number of things that he wouldn’t.

Hux waited expectantly for him to say something, and after seeing he wasn’t going to, nodded. “I expect you to be at work tomorrow, Organa. On time.”

Ben nodded, still half in shock. His lips were buzzing. “Yes, sir.”

Hux turned on his heel and left the apartment without saying anything else.

Ben’s knees collapsed and he slid to the ground.

There was no way he could quit now.

* * *

Ben showed up for work the next morning half an hour early. He hadn’t been able to sleep at all last night. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Hux would say when he finally came in this morning. After that first time in Hux’s office, they hadn’t talked about it at all, but this time was different. This time Hux wasn’t reprimanding him as a boss. This was personal. It would change their dynamic, Ben just wasn’t sure how.

He waited on tenterhooks for Hux to come in, hoping… he wasn’t exactly sure what. This meant things would be different at work. He had a reason to stay, he thought. He supposed most people would have taken Hux kissing him as a sign to pack their bags and leave town immediately, but Ben couldn’t help but be fascinated by Hux, by his easy confidence and seamless control over everything. Hux was interested in him for whatever reason, and Ben couldn’t lie and say that didn’t send a little thrill through him.

When Hux finally walked in, right on time, Ben had run nearly every scenario through his head and how he would react. Hux must want to talk about what had happened, if not to establish a few ground rules. Deep down, Ben was kind of hoping for a little smile or just a _hint_ of warmth from Hux.

Hux didn’t say anything, barely looked at Ben at all. He seemed a little preoccupied with something on his phone while he shrugged out of his coat. Ben took it promptly, trying to catch Hux’s eye, but Hux walked into his office without a word.

Ben didn’t let that get him down. Maybe Hux would say something when Ben came in to get his tasks for the day. It was more private in Hux’s office anyway. Ben waited a few minutes, nervous, before entering Hux’s office.

Hux was sitting behind his desk at his laptop, probably checking his email. Without looking up, he spoke. “Organa, what is this?” He asked, indicating an untouched streusel muffin sitting on the corner of his desk.

_Organa_. Not Ben. He swallowed. Well, they were at work. Perhaps that was to be expected.

“I thought you might like a pastry, sir. I just thought it would be nice.” Ben said, trying to sound cheerful. He’d wanted to get a little something extra for Hux beyond the coffee, now that things had changed between them.

“I didn’t ask for a pastry.” Hux frowned.

Ben wilted a little bit. “I know you didn’t, but I just thought-”

Hux cut him off, holding out a stack of files for him to take. “Well, don’t think next time. If I wanted something like this, I would have asked for it. Get these over to Phasma right away. She should have gotten these last week.”

Ben was mortified to feel the sting of tears prick his eyes. He blinked quickly to push them back, grabbed the files, and left the room without another word.

On his way to Phasma’s office, Ben clutched the files to his chest, a black mood descending on him. He had been stupid to think Hux would act any differently now that they’d kissed and gone to dinner together. Or, to be more accurate, Hux had kissed him. Ben bit his lip, wondering why Hux had bothered to come over yesterday if he was just planning on being the same asshole as always at work?

He dropped the files off and then went walking back towards his desk, his feet feeling like lead. He briefly considered confronting Hux about it. With his first sliver of unease, Ben realized the power differential between them. If anyone else had treated Ben like Hux had, he would have already stood up to them, demanded to know what their problem was. With Hux, he couldn’t. If he marched into Hux’s office right now and demanded an apology or an explanation, he’d be reprimanded, sent back down to his cramped basement desk, possibly forever. Or fired. On the spot. The uncomfortable fact was, Hux could really treat Ben however he wanted, and Ben couldn’t do anything about it.

The rest of the day was spent catching up on work and avoiding Hux like the plague. Ben was hurt by the sudden rejection, but he tried his best not to let it show. This was made easy as they were both genuinely busy, and he almost succeeded in forgetting about it by the end of the day.

By the middle of that week, Ben had managed to convince himself that the kiss had been a one-time thing. Hux clearly didn’t want anything to do with him, so maybe he should just forget about him outside of office hours. That was easier said than done, of course, but if he kept obsessing over what Hux did or did not feel, he was going to drive himself crazy.

By that weekend, Ben was telling himself he didn’t care about Hux. He was just going to keep his head down and do his job, and that was it. If he was a little hurt by Hux’s sudden rejection, he was going to try not to let it show.

He was over at Rey’s for an apology hang-out session. They’d mostly patched things over, although there was a little bit of leftover tension when she found out Ben was still at his job.

The four of them were sitting arrayed around the coffee table. Poe and Finn were leaning into each other on the couch, Rey was laying on her stomach on the floor, and Ben sat cross-legged in front of the table, which was littered with the debris of dinner and drinks. They were all well into their fourth rounds and playing Never Have I Ever.

“Okay, okay, wait. I’ve got one.” Rey said, giggling a little. “Never have I ever had sex in a car –”

A round of boos from everybody else. Finn threw an empty water bottle at her. “Boring!”

Rey caught the bottle and laughed. “I’m not done! _While_ it’s in motion!”

The boos stop. “I stand corrected. Now that’s an interesting question!” Poe laughed, taking a drink with a flourish. Rey grinned, knocked glasses with him, and drank too.

Finn had a thoughtful look on his face. “Does any moving vehicle count? Like a train?”

Poe and Rey put their heads together, literally, and had a short but furious discussion on the rules. Rey leaned over casually and pushed Finn’s cup up to his lips. “I’m gonna say… that counts as half. So you just take a little… _sip_.”

Ben was the only one who hadn’t drank. He hadn’t drank for a lot of these rounds. He liked this game in theory, but when he played it with these guys, all they wanted to do was bring up various unsavory sexual situations they’d gotten into. Most of the time, he didn’t have anything to add. He was painfully boring in that regard, his number of sexual encounters pretty much limited to what he could count up on one hand.

Poe looked over at him. “Well well well! Looks like somebody is not a fan of vehicular romance! Your turn, buddy.”

Ben popped a chip into his mouth to give himself time to think. “Okay, um. Never have I ever… hitchhiked.” He just threw out the first thing that came into his head.

Finn was chewing some ice in his teeth. “Lame!” He pronounced before drinking. Nobody else did. “Wow, really, none of you?”

Rey shrugged. “It’s the twenty-first century! Also I’m a woman. Don’t really want to end up on some true crime podcast, thanks.”

The conversation petered out after that. Ben fidgeted. He wished he would have chosen something cooler for his round, but he really couldn’t think of anything. He tried to think of anything sexually adventurous he’d tried before a few weeks ago and hadn’t really come up with anything. The most risky thing he’d done was sleeping with a guy in high school while his parents were home, and Ben had ultimately been so worried about being found out that it hadn’t been very fun anyway.

It was Poe’s turn next. He sat up for this one. “Okay, I’ve got one. Never have I ever… slept with my boss.”

“Ooh…” Rey and Finn said in unison like this was especially juicy. Neither one of them drank.

Poe did, looking very pleased with himself.

“Rey sat up with a jolt. “Who!” She demanded, a grin on her face. “It wasn’t that weird guy with the patch burnt out of his hair from the Dairy Queen, was it?”

“No, we mostly just did hand stuff.” Poe said, grinning to let them know it was just a joke.

After a few more seconds of furious ribbing, Poe gave up the intel. “It was Rebecca, from the movie theater? Remember her?”

A grin lit up Rey’s face. “Oh yeah! Dude. She was hot. Wasn’t she in a band?”

“Yeah. We hooked up in the green room after one of her shows. We had a lot of fun.”

Finn rolled his eyes. “Poe, she was hired, like, four days before you were. She hardly counted as your boss.”

“Hey, she made my schedule, didn’t she? That totally counts!” Poe defended himself.

Ben thought he could get away with taking a quick, embarrassed sip of his drink while they were all distracted, but Finn noticed.

“Ben, you’ve gotta be fucking kidding me. I do not believe you, you khaki-wearing son of a bitch. Who?” He said, laughing.

Ben flushed from the roots of his hair to his chest, and he knew they could all see it. “I was just… I was just drinking! Unrelated to the game.”

Poe cocked an eyebrow. “Ben. Buddy. This space is sacred. There’s no lies in this apartment. Come on.”

“It was…” Ben thought about lying, but decided at the last second to tell the truth. To be honest, he was dying to get this thing off his chest, and if this was how it came out, this was how it came out. “Um… Hux? My, uh, my boss at the firm?”

He had been expecting to get more dismayed boos, maybe some chips thrown at him, some good-natured teasing. Instead, he got dead silence.

Rey sat up straight. She didn’t look drunk anymore. “Wait, are you serious?”

Ben laughed nervously. “Yeah, I mean. It wasn’t really, _sex_ , exactly, it was… we… did some stuff.” He finished lamely.

Rey frowned. She looked worried. “Hux. The guy that makes you work seventy hours a week. The dick that makes you keep canceling your plans and forces you to pick up his coffee every morning.”

Now it was Ben’s turn to frown. “He doesn’t _force_ me to get his coffee. It’s my job.”

Rey ignored that. “And this… _stuff_ … that you did. It was his idea, I assume?”

“What is _that_ supposed to mean?” Ben said, getting a little defensive. The good mood in the room had instantly dissipated, and now everybody was looking at him weird. He felt incredibly embarrassed. He wished he hadn’t said anything.

“It’s just… a boss asking his employee to do something they’re not comfortable with… That’s pretty suspect.” Rey said slowly.

Ben moved back a little. “Who said I wasn’t comfortable with it? Why are you making such a big deal out of this anyway? When _Poe_ did it, it was fun and flirty! But now, when I do it, it’s a mortal sin?”

“Poe slept with his shift manager at a two-dollar movie theater. They’re like, practically the same age, and pretty much no conflict of interest! It’s totally different! There’s like, a _huge_ power differential between you and Hux.”

Ben frowned and started to scratch at the surface of the table. He felt like he was getting ganged up on, and he didn’t like it. “I never said that I didn’t like it! Yeah, it was a little weird, but I never try new things.”

“Ben…” Rey began.

Ben stood up abruptly. “Why can’t you just be happy for me?” He demanded, a lot more upset than he’d thought he was. “I never get stuff like this! You guys are going on dates every other week! It’s not like that for me! People aren’t…”

Ben clamped his mouth shut. _People aren’t ever interested in me_ was what he was going to say, but that was a little too much emotional honesty for tonight.

“I just don’t want him to take advantage of you, that’s all.” Rey said softly.

“Well, I think I can make that decision for myself.” Ben snapped, turning on his heels and locking himself in the bathroom.

He splashed water on his face and tried to calm down the rage-shaking of his hands. He really couldn’t have explained why he was so upset about this. He was probably projecting way more onto this relationship than Hux felt. Hux had barely talked to him after the kiss, anyway. Maybe it didn’t mean anything to him. This wouldn’t be the first time he’d misinterpreted something like this.

By the time he rejoined the party, some half-assed, awkward apologies were made, and they continued the night like nothing had happened, but Ben could still sense a bit of tension in the room he didn’t know what to do with.

When he went back to work, Hux continued to ignore him beyond the necessary interactions to do his job. Ben began to wonder if he had somehow hallucinated the kiss entirely. He knew that wasn’t true, but the difference between Hux’s focus on him now and then was like night and day.

So he showed up to work on time, and did his job without complaint, but when Rey texted him later that week and told him she’d set him up with a date, Ben agreed to go. Whatever strange relationship he and Hux had was clearly not going anywhere, so he supposed Rey was right. He didn’t have to be miserable in his personal life _and_ at work.

The date’s name was Caleb, and he was part of the strange rotating cast of circus people Rey, Poe, and Finn seemed to know. Caleb built sets for a few theaters around town, although he wasn’t an actor himself, and Rey assured him he was very nice.

Ben went on the date fairly reluctantly. He wasn’t good at the whole dating thing, always managed to act like a moron or say the wrong thing. People usually didn’t like him, and as much as he tried to act differently or somehow disguise the reek of desperation that usually hovered around him, pretty much all the dates he’d ever been on (which he could count on one hand) ended in disaster.

This was why he went into the date expecting doom and ended up being pleasantly surprised. Caleb indeed turned out to be very nice. Funny too. He turned out to be the best kind of outgoing person for somebody more introverted to spend time with. Caleb knew how to fill a silence, talked a lot so that it was never awkward, but was good at asking questions of Ben until he was comfortable enough to hold a normal conversation. Moreover, Caleb actually seemed interested in what Ben had to say.

They ate at a shitty hole-in-the-wall burger place Caleb knew about, just about as far away from where Hux had taken him as was humanly possible (not that the dinner with Hux had been a _date_ , Ben had to keep reminding himself sternly).

They ate quickly and then hopped the subway (Caleb seemed to know the schedule by heart) and caught a concert from some up-and-coming local band that Ben had never heard of, but Caleb seemed to almost be on a first-name basis with. Every friend that Rey and company had was kind of like this, but the longer the night went on, the more Ben liked him.

They ended the night at an all-night café that had homemade ice cream. They sat at the counter near the window and tried bites of each other’s samples. By the time they parted ways at the subway just before dawn, Ben hadn’t thought of Hux or his terrible job all night. Caleb gave him a quick peck on the cheek as a parting present. Ben thought about it all the way home.

When Ben woke up the next day, he had a text from Caleb asking if he wanted to get brunch that weekend. Ben sent him back a very enthusiastic yes.

Over the next two weeks, they went on a few more dates together, and Ben started to think that this could really go somewhere. Caleb was nice and he was having fun. They had sex for the first time in Caleb’s apartment after takeout and some cheap boxed wine. Ben tripped while trying to take his pants off and ended up face-planting on the floor, which had the potential of being so embarrassing it ruined the whole mood. Instead, Caleb picked him up, laughed with him, and kissed him until he forgot about it. The sex was slow, and sweet, and really this was light-years faster than Ben would have considered having sex with a date, but he really liked Caleb, who never made him feel embarrassed about his lack of experience.

His time with Caleb was going so well, in fact, that his job started to not seem so all-encompassing and important as it had a few weeks ago. For the first time, he had something else to concentrate on, and this something was so much less stressful that he nearly forgot about the strange back and forth with Hux.

Unfortunately for him, Hux did not.

Throughout his fling with Caleb, Ben pretty much managed to maintain the same level of competence at work that he had before. He just had more energy to deal with the never-ending work and stress.

As far as he knew, he only cut it close one time. After a particularly late night with Caleb, Ben was almost late for work. He rushed through his morning routine, splurging on a lift to work instead of taking the subway. He rushed to the front of the line, got Hux’s coffee, and had just managed to get into the office and set everything up the way Hux liked it by the time Hux walked in. He was ten minutes later than Hux wanted him to be to work, but since Hux himself didn’t arrive until fifteen minutes later than Ben was supposed to arrive, Ben didn’t think it would be a problem. He honestly didn’t think Hux would notice, as long as he had everything ready by the time he arrived.

Ben was still in Hux’s office laying out files by the time Hux arrived. He walked in with his coat under one arm, an inscrutable look on his face.

“Good morning, sir.” Ben said, coming forward to take the coat.

“You’re missing a button.” Hux commented flatly.

Ben looked down in embarrassment, realizing the top button on his shirt was undone. This wasn’t usually something he’d overlook, but it had really been a late night last night. He quickly did up the button before muttering an apology and going out into the outer office. For the moment, he thought he’d gotten away with it.

The next day, Ben and Hux were in one of the conference rooms, papers spread out over the huge table in order to put them into a recognizable form. Hux was going to court the next day, so they had to be ready for every eventuality.

It was a mostly subdued affair. Hux directed Ben to do what he wanted, and there wasn’t a lot of discussion back and forth. Ben had reached the point where Hux’s coldness and distance didn’t really bother him anymore. Now that he had Caleb around, Hux’s approval or lack thereof didn’t seem like quite the end of the world it used to.

They were almost done, and Ben was just waiting for Hux to finish writing down a few notes in the case file before they could wrap up for the day. Hux appeared to be paying him no mind, engrossed as he was in the task at hand.

Ben felt his phone buzz in his pocket, and he took it out, thinking it would be Rey. It was Caleb instead: _Come over tonight? I don’t get off until 10, but I’ll make it worth your while ;)_

Ben couldn’t help the smile that grew across his face, and he started composing his reply when he felt the heavy eyes of Hux on him. He looked up. Hux was watching him with his flat, stony look.

“Am I boring you?” He asked.

Ben blinked in surprise. “No. No! Of course not, I –”

“Seems to me that you’re more interested in your phone than what I’m paying you for.” Hux said coldly. He held out a hand. “Let me see it.”

Ben blinked. He couldn’t do that, right? It had to be illegal, or unethical or something to look at your employee’s personal phone. Ben hesitated, but then capitulated when Hux began to frown. He didn’t want to rock the boat needlessly. It wasn’t like it mattered if Hux saw the text or not, it wasn’t anything incriminating.

Hux read the text from Caleb, then started scrolling backwards in their conversation. Ben almost grabbed the phone back, but stopped himself. He wracked his brain, trying to remember whether he’d complained about Hux or his job over text. He didn’t think so. He hoped not.

Hux eventually handed the phone back, still maddeningly remote. “This Caleb. New friend of yours?”

Through a sheer force of will, Ben had to force himself not to blush or otherwise embarrass himself. “Yeah. Pretty new.”

“He seems like quite a flirt.” Hux noted drily.

This time, Ben couldn’t stop the red flush from rising to his cheeks, although he managed to glare. “What does that have to do with anything?” He asked, getting annoyed at all the personal questions.

Hux’s icy stare was unnerving. “To put it politely, he seems like he dates a lot of people.”

“So?” Ben demanded, knowing he was getting a little aggressive for a conversation with his boss, but reasoning that Hux started it.

“So, when we went to dinner, you gave the impression of someone who doesn’t have a lot of experience.” Hux said.

Ben wanted to sink through every floor in the building until he was firmly in the basement and away from Hux’s laser-pointed attention. Was he really sitting here having a conversation with his boss about his sexual experience (or, to be perfectly honest, his lack of)? This was in the running for one of the most mortifying conversations of his life.

“Well, I don’t see how that’s any of your business.” Ben shot back defensively. Hux’s stare remained immovable, and Ben thought he’d been working for him long enough to at least start to decipher his moods. He thought Hux looked unimpressed.

Hux was most likely thinking about their two previous encounters. At the thought of when Hux had kissed him, or when he’d knelt half-naked in his office and jerked himself off, Ben flushed from his forehead down to his chest. Actually, in a way, he supposed it _was_ Hux’s business. He was probably only saying this because nobody who had any experience would ever acquiesce to what Hux had told him to do. His naiveté probably glared over his head like a neon sign.

“You are free to do whatever you like in your private life, of course.” Hux said, with a slight frown that suggested otherwise. “However, I draw the line when it interferes with your work.”

“Of course, sir.” Ben said, privately feeling like checking his phone at work didn’t quite count as interfering. But whatever.

Hux held onto his phone for a moment longer before giving it back. Their meeting continued. Ben was shocked that Hux didn’t say anything else about it.

A few days later, Ben took the trip to Caleb’s apartment, hoping to surprise him with takeout. Caleb had been a little busy and had intimated that something big was going on at work. Ben hoped that he would be able to help him relax.

When he got there, he found Caleb elbow-deep in a handful of clothes that he was busy packing into boxes scattered all over the room. Half-packed boxes were everywhere.

Ben set down the bag of food on the counter and looked around. “Uh, what’s all this? Are you moving?”

After throwing some clothes in a box, Caleb came over to Ben. “Yes. I meant to tell you before, everything’s just been so hectic.”

“What’s wrong with this place? I haven’t noticed any rats or anything. Have the neighbors taken up midnight clogging or something?” He asked.

Caleb scratched his neck. “No, nothing like that. Ben, I’m not moving to another apartment. Or, I am, but not here. I’m moving to California.”

“What?” Ben was flabbergasted.

“I know. It’s such short notice. The company I work for was recently bought out and they’re moving operations to LA, which could have been terrible news, but lucky for us, the contract stipulated that all the staff would stay on. They’re going to have us building movie sets. It’s a huge opportunity! I love the theater, you know that, but there’s just no money in it, unfortunately.” Caleb was obviously excited about the whole situation.

“Oh,” Ben said, trying to marshal his thoughts into a line. “That’s great! That’s… don’t they already have people to build sets in California? Why buy out a company on the other side of the country?”

Caleb gave him a smile. “Who knows? All I know is I’ll finally be able to do something I actually _like_.”

Ben smiled back. “Well, I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks.” Caleb paused for a moment. “Of course, that means that we’ll have to call this thing off. I don’t really think I could make the long-distance thing work.”

“Oh,” Ben said dejectedly.

“Hey. I really like you, Ben, and we’ve had a lot of fun, but we’ve only been going out for a couple of weeks. Can we part as friends?” Caleb said, at the very least looking sincere.

Ben nodded. “Yeah, of course.” He tried to smile, but he couldn’t help the sting of rejection he felt. He supposed it wasn’t really anyone’s fault, but this hurt.

“Besides, I kind of thought you would have already known.” Caleb continued.

Ben frowned. “What? Why?”

“When they were hammering out all the details, one of the partners from the firm you work at came. He was representing the guy who bought the company.” Caleb said.

Ben felt a nasty shock of surprise. “No, I didn’t know that.”

Caleb gave him a friendly push on the shoulder. “I thought you might have wanted to get rid of me.” He joked.

Ben didn’t laugh back.

They had a longer talk, and Ben ended up helping Caleb load the rest of his stuff into boxes. This wasn’t something that Ben really wanted to do, but sometimes he couldn’t stop himself from being accommodating, even when he didn’t feel like it. They indeed parted as friends, but Ben knew that they would most likely never see each other again. They hadn’t known each other well enough yet to stay in touch. What had been a promising romance was nipped in the bud, just like that.

On his way home, Ben couldn’t help the dark clouds that hung around his head. As apologetic as Caleb had been, he couldn’t help but feel like he had been rejected. Maybe if he had been more of an interesting person, if they had hit it off more, Caleb would have at least _thought_ of staying. But Ben supposed he wasn’t the kind of person people stuck around for.

He was right back where he started. Stressed, overworked, with only Hux’s regard hanging over his head. If only he could get him to even _look_ at him. Ben went home in a dangerous mood, wondering if his worst suspicions were correct. He didn’t want to entertain the possibility that Hux had something to do with it, but if he had… Ben was in worse trouble than he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the brief foray into Hux's POV! The fic will still be mainly Ben's POV, but I might slip in a little more Hux here and there. Also, if you're anxious for things to ramp up a bit, don't worry. Next chapter's got you.
> 
> I think I will post an extra chapter next week, because this is the worst holiday season of all time, and we probably all need a pick-me-up lmao. Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus chapter on the off week! Again, read those tags. They're definitely in play this chapter. Things get worse for Ben now, and they won't get better. Content warnings for this chapter: coercion with definite sexual undertones, humiliation, threat of public humiliation.

After a dejected night sitting on his couch eating the warmed-up leftovers he’d initially intended for Caleb, Ben went into work the next morning in a black mood. He was jostled by a jogger when he was waiting at the streetlight, making him drop Hux’s coffee in the street. Ben scowled and would have cursed the person out, but they were already gone. He had to go back to the coffee shop and reorder Hux’s coffee, which meant by the time he actually made it up to the office, Hux was due to arrive any minute. Ben hurried through the morning routine, and had just managed to get everything done by the time Hux walked in.

Ben was in a bad enough mood he didn’t really want to talk, so he hurried forward to take Hux’s coat, hoping they could get through this without a conversation. No such luck.

Hux straightened his cuff links after Ben took his coat, and looked after him with an amused look on his face.

“Do you have someplace to be?” Hux asked, with what passed for humor coloring his voice.

Ben looked at him, frowned. “What?”

Hux just pointed at what Ben was wearing. Ben looked down and realized he was still wearing his coat. He’d been so focused on getting everything ready for Hux, he’d forgotten what he was wearing.

Ben was too annoyed to be embarrassed. He struggled out of his coat, in the process dropping Hux’s on the floor. He picked it up quickly, frustrated with the whole day. Hux didn’t comment, but just stood there watching as Ben hung both coats up, closing the closet door a little harder than strictly necessary.

“Is there a problem I should be aware of?” Hux asked. Ben might have been imagining it, but there was a pleased undercurrent to his voice that Ben didn’t understand.

“No,” Ben snapped, quickly amending his tone when he saw Hux’s eyebrows raise. “Sir.” He ground out in irritation.

Hux didn’t drop it, kept standing with his hands in his pockets, examining Ben in that incisive way he had.

“Well, whatever is going on with you, I expect you to improve your attitude. Immediately. We have that investor’s meeting today, and I don’t need an assistant who will decide to mouth off in the middle of the meeting.” Hux said coldly.

Ben looked down at his feet, gritting his teeth. He nodded. He knew Hux was right. He had to get a hold of himself. He had to stop letting his personal life color his job.

Hux apparently decided Ben was contrite enough, because he left for his office. After taking a few deep breaths, Ben managed to get through the morning briefing without doing anything else unprofessional.

After catching up with his emails, Ben found himself with a rare free moment. He sat with one hand propping up his chin, feeling dejected. His mind was circling the drain of his conversation with Caleb, wondering if he could have said something different to get him to stay. He alighted on what Caleb had said about a lawyer from this firm coming to the meeting. Ben tried not to jump to the worst conclusion, but he couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Feeling a little guilty, Ben went into Hux’s calendar and searched through last week, looking for anything incriminating. It didn’t take him long to find a two-hour meeting on the books last Thursday in the name of the theater company Caleb worked for. Ben felt a nasty jolt looking at it. He’d been working for Hux for a few weeks now, and prided himself on at least being able to recognize the different cases they were working on. This one was completely unfamiliar. Looking into it a little further, Ben couldn’t find any invoices or charges attached to this account. He frowned. That didn’t make any sense. This would only happen if Hux decided to take this case pro bono, and the likelihood of Hux doing _that_ was low indeed.

Ben started to wonder why he hadn’t known about this meeting beforehand. His entire job was scheduling Hux’s time at work, so there was really no reason why he wouldn’t know, unless… Hux had removed the normal notification that was sent out when a meeting was scheduled. Unless… Hux hadn’t wanted him to know about this beforehand.

Ben stared at his computer, the incriminating meeting notice seeming to take up the entire screen. He tried not to jump to conclusions here, but… Hux had scheduled a meeting with the company that employed Caleb, specifically excluding Ben. The meeting had been scheduled the day after Hux had looked at his phone and asked who Caleb was. Ben thought of what Caleb had told him about the contract, about how it had specified that all staff could stay on. That was highly irregular for a business who relied on mostly short-term employees. And relocating the employees to the other side of the country? It was almost as if…Hux had wanted Caleb out of Ben’s life. It was almost as if he had engineered this move just to get rid of Caleb. But why?

For the first time, Ben felt a shiver of unease. If this was true… If Hux had actually done this… That could be bad. That could be very bad. Ben just didn’t understand why. Hux had demonstrated over and over that he wasn’t interested in Ben. He barely acknowledged his existence, so it couldn’t be jealousy, right? Not that he had any right to feel one way or another about Ben’s love life anyway, since he was his boss. Even so.

Maybe he’d done it just because he thought Ben wasn’t focusing enough on work. Which was bullshit. Maybe he was just an asshole.

By the time the afternoon rolled around, Ben had worked himself up into a black mood. This job was so stressful already, and Hux had just decided to take away one of the few things that made it halfway bearable for no discernible reason.

The meeting they were going to was going to be a full afternoon’s affair at the Dutch history museum downtown, followed shortly afterward by a reception and soiree. They’d been prepping it for weeks; all the partners were going, and Ben was expected to come along with a few other hand-picked paralegals to make sure everything went according to plan. Ben had been a little excited about this yesterday, but now he was in such a bad mood he barely noticed what he was doing. He loaded everything he needed into his satchel and left the office for the elevators.

Hux was standing there, along with Phasma and Sam Dawson, who was apparently moving up the ranks himself in Phasma’s service. He joined the group, studiously avoiding looking at Hux. He thought if he did, he might say something unwise. He was fuming.

“Organa, did you bring the old versions of the contract? I want them on hand just in case I need to cross-reference anything.” Hux asked off-hand.

“You saw them sitting on my desk when you left the office five minutes ago, right?” Ben said, immediately regretting his snippy tone the second it left his mouth.

Phasma abruptly covered a laugh with a hurried cough. Sam suddenly became very interested in the strap of his bag. Hux didn’t react beyond raising his eyebrows. “Yes, but as the fate of a three-million dollar merger depends on the outcome of this meeting, I thought I would make sure. If that’s all right with you.”

Ben winced and looked down at his feet. He had to bite his lip to keep from sniping back. He couldn’t let his frustration boil up any farther.

To his immense relief, the elevator chose that moment to arrive, the doors opening with a soft ping. The four of them entered the elevator. Ben pressed his back against the wall and focused very strongly on regulating his facial expression. _Just don’t say anything else stupid, you goddamn moron_ , he reprimanded himself. _Just keep your mouth shut and get through the rest of this day if you want to keep this job_.

Ben could feel Hux’s eyes on him, and he tried his hardest to ignore it. The fact that Hux almost surely knew why he was so annoyed only made his boiling frustration worse. Hux might not be aware that Ben knew Hux had a hand in Caleb’s departure, but he surely knew the source of the bad mood.

He might have made it out of the building if it weren’t for Sam unwittingly making things worse. He could obviously sense the chilly mood inside the elevator and wanted to make it better. He pulled out his phone and turned it towards Ben. “Hey, you mind showing me how to sync your calendar up with someone else’s? For some reason, I can’t get mine to work. I don’t know what the deal is.”

He spoke before his brain could shut him up. “Oh, it’s easy, unless someone decides to sabotage it for no good reason.” Even though alarm bells were going off in his head, he couldn’t stop the obviously accusatory glance he shot at Hux.

The elevator went silent.

As if worried that he would somehow be pulled into what Ben just said by association, Sam quickly put his phone back in his pocket and started studying the descending numbers of floors.

All the blood rushed to Ben’s head and he felt a little faint. _Jesus Christ, what had he been thinking?_ He wanted to die on the spot if it would get him out of this elevator immediately. He stared at the floor in a horrified daze. He couldn’t bear to look at Hux again, but he could feel his eyes burning into the back of his head.

When the elevator doors opened, Sam nearly sprinted out to get away from him. Phasma followed at a much more sedate pace. Ben hoped he would be able to slip away and somehow make it so he never had to talk to Hux again, but Hux called him back.

“Organa. Come here,” Hux said, voice cold and unforgiving.

Ben did, feeling faint. He followed Hux around the corner to a semi-secluded spot near the water fountains. Hux didn’t say anything for a moment, so he was forced to look up at his face to judge his mood.

Hux was looking at him, and he clearly wasn’t happy. He had an expression on his face like he might have killed Ben on sight if there weren’t witnesses. He held out an authoritative hand. “Give me everything you were going to bring to the meeting.”

Ben mutely handed over the half dozen folders he had in his bag. Hux took them, glanced over them briefly to make sure they were all there, and then nodded. He turned his icy gaze back on Ben. “You’re going back up to your desk. Get started on the Price briefs. I want them done, printed, and collated in my office by the time I get back. We’ll discuss your behavior then.”

Hux turned to leave, and Ben just couldn’t leave it like that, so he spoke up again. “Sir, I…”

Hux turned around and sent him a single look that had the power to vaporize him on sight. Ben closed his mouth and watched him walk away.

Ben wandered back to the elevator and hit the button a little harder than necessary. Once he was in, he pressed his forehead against the mirrored wall and thought about just leaving the building and never coming back. How could he have been so _stupid_ to say something like that? And in front of witnesses?

Ben was going to do what Hux had told him to, really he _was_ , but after looking at the clock he realized he’d been sitting at his desk in a daze for forty-five minutes already and he hadn’t gotten a thing done. At this time of day, the floor would usually be bustling with end-of-day business as everybody finished up before heading home for the night. Tonight, though, there wasn’t anybody here because they were all at the meeting.

Ben’s irritation with Hux came roaring back all of a sudden. He’d humiliated him as a form of discipline, had essentially tricked him into going to dinner with him, had kissed him and then basically ignored him, and after all that, had the audacity of meddling in his personal life for no apparent reason.

Ben ground his teeth and seethed. He was getting really sick of this. If he had to guess, when Hux _did_ come back, if he didn’t fire him on the spot, he would just come up with some strange form of discipline, and then just ignore him again the next day. Ben just didn’t understand what the point of all this was. If Hux was interested in him, then why didn’t he _do_ something about it? If he wasn’t, then why the head games? Ben was only sure of one thing. He was getting really sick of being jerked around.

As his frustration boiled over, any chance of him actually doing the work Hux had ordered him to do disappeared. He shut down his computer with a flourish that he hoped would feel decisive, but ended up just feeling petty. He would have gone home, but he decided something here and now. He was done playing Hux’s games. He was going to wait here until Hux got back, and they were going to have it out. He was going to get some answers out of Hux if it killed him.

Ben wasted another half hour doom scrolling through Twitter, but even that couldn’t hold his interest for long. He dropped his phone on his desk, and groaned. He was starting to get bored. The meeting was probably done with, but there was the reception afterwards, and he had no idea how long that was going to last. It could be hours.

For want of something to do, Ben decided to take a look in Hux’s office. Of course, he’d been in there when Hux hadn’t been there, but never for longer than a minute or two at a stretch, and he’d never done anything beyond setting his coffee or files down on his desk and then leaving again. The threat of Hux’s imminent arrival always hung over him.

But now… Hux might not be back for hours yet. He didn’t have anything better to do.

Ben wandered into Hux’s office, feeling a little thrill at doing something he shouldn’t. Just like the first time, he was a little awed by the sleek elegance of Hux’s office. It was polished without being too ostentatious; somehow old-fashioned and modern sensibilities had been married into one. It was effortless and opaque, just like the man.

For a while, Ben was too nervous to seriously go poking around. He sort of half-heartedly stood by the window and looked at the books on the shelf. But, when he thought about Caleb moving away, all his latent irritation came back in a flash.

He didn’t know the password to Hux’s computer, and anyway, that was a line that he wasn’t willing to cross, so he settled for peeking in the drawers and rummaging through the shelves. At first, he was disappointed. There wasn’t anything exciting or damning here, just stationery, books, and other standard office supplies. When he checked out the books on the table behind Hux’s desk, however, he found a stash of very expensive-looking whiskey, bourbon, and brandy. These must be for special occasions, when he had a client in the office he really wanted to impress.

Knowing that one shot of this bourbon would likely cost enough to keep Ben fed for a whole week, he pulled it out and took a sip. The amber liquid hit his tongue and burned a line down his throat. Ben didn’t know a lot about fancy liquors, but even he could tell that this was top-shelf stuff. He glanced at the label and saw that it was sixty years old.

For a very brief moment, Ben’s voice of reason asserted itself in his mind. _You know it’s dangerous to play around with Hux like this. You’re already in trouble, but you don’t have to make it worse. If you just put that back now and then finish the work he assigned you, he’ll be none the wiser. It’s not wise to test someone like him._

Ben knew that that was sensible and right, but the strange back-and-forth of their relationship, or whatever you wanted to call it, was starting to take a toll on him. He didn’t want to spend another two weeks trying to guess how Hux was feeling. He was tired of being ignored. He was getting some answers or he was getting fired tonight. Either way it would be a relief.

So despite his common sense, Ben kept sampling Hux’s top-shelf liquor until he was well and truly drunk. He discovered this fact when he tried to stand up and ended up falling right on his ass. He sat on the ground giggling to himself for a brief moment before he focused his swimmy gaze on the clock. It was already eight o’clock and the sun had gone down. He groaned. Hux had been gone for _hours_ , and he still didn’t know when he was coming back.

All of a sudden, his drunk mind had a flash of insight. He didn’t have to wait for Hux. He knew where he was. He could just go to him. It took a great deal of trouble to coordinate his gangly limbs into a sitting and then standing position. He had to grab onto the chair and hoist himself into a kneeling position, and then up again. He grabbed the edge of the table and did manage to stand up, but not without first toppling the bottle of brandy and a small, bronze figurine of a bull onto the ground. There was a snap like something had been broken. The brandy dripped sluggishly into the carpet. Ben watched that and hiccupped. That probably wasn’t good, but he had other things to think about.

The only reason he made it all the way out of the building without being stopped was because by now, he was pretty much the only person there. The security guard gave him a curious look as he left, but he recognized him, so let it go.

Ben was just lucid enough to call a lift, and he waited outside with his hands in his pockets, cold despite the high-end brandy coursing through his system.

When his lift arrived, he jumped into the backseat, grateful for the warmth inside the car. He struggled with the seat belt with stiff fingers and eventually gave up.

The woman driving him was a thirty-something with a blonde ponytail pulled so tight against her skull it practically pulled her skin back. She glanced back at him a few times, wrinkling her nose at the probably obvious smell of alcohol.

“Heading home?” She asked, just to be polite. “I didn’t know there were any bars around here.”

“There’s not,” Ben slurred. “I work in there.” He pointed back at the building he’d just left and after a moment’s thought (a drunk moment), he wrinkled his brow and giggled. “Although, probably not for long.”

“Ah.” The woman said and returned her eyes to the road. She was obviously too professional to comment on one of her passengers getting drunk at work. She’d probably seen worse.

They drove in silence for a few minutes, but when they entered downtown, the traffic slowed to a halt. The driver tapped her fingers against the wheel.

Ben made the difficult maneuvering of his body into a sitting position. He was realizing that he was drunker than he thought. His thoughts came sluggishly. “Hey. I wanna ask a question. What would you call someone who kisses you and then acts like you don’t exist and, and refuses to talk about it at all, except on his terms?” Ben said, draping his arms over the front seat and staring curiously at the driver.

The woman glanced over at him, and her expression softened a little bit. “Oh, honey. I’d call that an asshole.”

“You don’t think…” Ben had to struggle to articulate his next idea through his clouded mind. “You don’t think he might have a good reason for it?”

“He might have a reason, but reasons like that are never good ones.” The woman said.

Ben leaned back and sighed heavily. “Yeah, I know.”

She shot him a sympathetic glance in the rearview mirror as they pulled up to the museum where the reception was being held. “Well, good luck.”

“Thanks.” Ben slammed the car door and took a moment to smooth his hair down before he walked in there. He didn’t want to look too out of place.

The museum was a stately old building with artfully-placed lights recessed in the manicured shrubs. A pair of old suits of armor flanked the doors in. Ben marched up, still driven by his drunkenly stupid confidence and annoyance. He had the briefest moment where he wondered if this was such a good idea before marching in, but he truly couldn’t take all this back and forth anymore.

Inside, the place was pretty full of professional-looking people standing around in various alcoves with drinks in their hands, chatting casually. This wasn’t a true party, so people weren’t in their evening wear, but they were all dressed in high-end work clothes, suits and pencil skirts and sensible heels. The museum itself was white marble, Renaissance-era paintings with rich colors lining the walls, and works of art arranged on well-placed tables.

Ben wandered through various rooms, avoiding talking to anyone, but completely focused on finding Hux. It took him a while before he saw anybody he knew from work, but eventually he spotted Sam flirting with another woman Ben didn’t know.

Ben walked up and interrupted their conversation with the confidence of the truly stupid or the truly drunk. “Hey, have you seen Hux?”

Sam looked surprised to see Ben. He took a step back. “Um, he’s in the back room with the museum director, I think. What are you _doing_ here? Aren’t you on his shit list? No offense, but I was _sure_ Hux was going to fire you.”

Ben waved that aside like it wasn’t important. “I just need to talk to him.”

Sam took in his flushed face and slight sway. His eyes widened as he recognized Ben’s inebriated state. “Oh, man, I don’t think that’s such a good idea…”

Ben pushed him aside and went walking off towards the back. “It’s fine. I’ll be fine.”

He followed Sam’s direction into the back room. This was clearly the more exclusive section of the party. Phasma was here, leaning against the wall, as well as several men of varying importance, whose worth seemed to be tied to the price of their watch. Hux was sitting across from a man Ben recognized as the director of the museum. He’d been by the office to sign a few papers over the past week.

Hux held a glass of champagne in one hand. He was sitting in a high-backed green chair, and looked completely at home among these important men. The low lighting in this room only served to accentuate the fiery red of his hair and sent shadows into the hollows of his face. He was deep in a discussion surrounding import taxes when Ben stumbled into the room.

Everyone else looked a little confused as to why this random man who clearly didn’t belong was here, but Hux’s face tightened immediately.

It was only just now occurring to Ben that this was probably a horrible idea. He had intended to walk in guns blazing, so to speak, regardless of who Hux was with, but despite himself, he found himself a little intimidated by the room around him.

He opened his mouth and spoke. “I need to talk to you. It’s important.” Ben blurted out, looking right at Hux, trying to ignore the laser focus of everyone else in the room.

Hux didn’t let himself be shown to be caught off guard. He very casually set down his glass as if this interruption had been one he expected. “Is it Sandra Keller, I assume? I wanted to be notified immediately if she called. Time-sensitive, her case is.” He said coolly for the benefit of the other people in the room, giving a sharp look at Ben that clearly said if he dared contradict him so publicly Hux would skin him alive.

“…Yes,” Ben said, a little slow on the uptake.

“Very well,” Hux said with a sigh, as if this interruption was regrettable but necessary. “Excuse me, gentlemen.” He was a very good actor. The only reason Ben saw through it was that he knew otherwise.

Hux exited gracefully, straightening his cuffs before walking towards the door, as if he had been expecting Ben to come the entire time. He held a hand out to indicate Ben walk in front of him. His face was inscrutable. Ben did, even through his fuzziness able to sense the sharpness underlying Hux’s placid exterior.

They exited the room, and Ben immediately turned around, opening his mouth to start his diatribe, but Hux shook his head, indicating that they continue on to one of the more secluded alcoves. Once they were out of sight of anybody in the immediate area, Hux turned around and studied Ben with his sharp gaze. He didn’t touch him, and his blank facial expression didn’t change, which almost made it worse.

Ben tried to speak again. “Hux, I know what you did with –”

Hux interrupted him. “Are you drunk?”

His question carried with it a great deal of judgment that stopped Ben in his tracks. Caught off guard, Ben nodded.

Hux’s jaw clenched in annoyance, and he grabbed Ben’s elbow tight before steering him even farther away from the rest of the partygoers. At first, Ben was so gobsmacked by the novelty of Hux touching him that he failed to notice just how hard Hux’s grip was. It was tight, bruising. He tried feebly to shake his arm away, but Hux didn’t let him.

Hux steered him up a short flight of stairs and into an empty room that was dominated by a huge, ornate fireplace that probably hadn’t been used in more than a hundred years. Other than that, there were a few rickety, antique tables displaying hand-carved boxes, but the rest of the room was just empty, marble floor.

Hux only let him go once they were there. Ben had to fight the urge to massage his elbow. He wondered if he would bruise. It certainly hurt enough.

Hux watched him, and sometime during the walk up here, the unconcerned mask he’d shown to the men downstairs disappeared. Now that they were alone, Ben could see he was _pissed_.

Ben expected to be yelled at now, but nothing happened. Hux tightened his jaw and raised an eyebrow. “Well?” He demanded. “You came all this way, let’s hear it.”

Ben blinked. He was starting to really think this had been a horrible idea, but it was too late to back out. This wasn’t going how he expected. He had the vague conception that he would surprise Hux in public and thus force him to finally pay attention to him. Instead, Hux had pulled him aside. The fact that Hux was allowing him to speak first wasn’t as gratifying as he thought. Doing his best to ignore Hux’s death glare, he just launched right in.

“I don’t _get_ you, Hux!” Ben started, wincing a little and wishing he could have started on a more decisive note. “What did I ever do to you? Do you hate me or something?”

Hux didn’t move. With his cold expression and severe posture, he almost looked like he could be an exhibit in this museum, serious and remote. “While you are really not ingratiating yourself to me right now, I’m not sure why you reached that conclusion. Or why you decided to force the issue at a company event.”

Ben groaned and ran his hands over his face. “I looked at your calendar! I found – you had a meeting with the theater company my boyf- my- the guy I was seeing works at! He’s moving halfway across the country because of you!”

“Maybe you’re so intoxicated you’ve forgotten what an attorney does, Organa, but I don’t sell or not sell companies. I facilitate the transfer of assets when the owner wants to sell.” Hux said coldly.

“So you’re denying it! I saw it in your calendar! You didn’t want me to know about it!” Ben accused.

“I’m not denying anything. I was there.” Hux said simply.

“You – Wait, what?” Just like that, the wind was taken out of Ben’s sails. He’d come here expecting an argument, he’d expected to have to lay out all his evidence right in a row. He hadn’t expected Hux to just _admit_ to it so quickly.

“I was at that meeting. I convinced the owner to sell. And yes, I did it because of you.” Hux said like he had nothing to hide, nothing to be ashamed of.

Ben was flabbergasted. “ _Why_?” He asked.

Hux let out a long sigh. “Organa, when I hired you for this position, it was on condition of _what?_ ”

Ben blinked, feeling like he was being quizzed. “I – I – what?”

“I told you that to be my assistant meant that you needed to be focused solely and entirely on _me_. This position demands your attention. I don’t tolerate… distractions.” Hux said.

“Yeah, I know, but, but, Caleb didn’t have anything to do with this job! That was on my own personal time!” Ben protested.

Hux pierced him with his cold eyes. “You don’t have personal time anymore, Organa. Don’t think I haven’t noticed your sloppy work, or when you’ve come in late. He was a distraction, so I dealt with him. You agreed to that when you accepted this position.”

“You don’t have the right to just – _decide_ what I do when I’m not on the job!” Ben hated that the calmer Hux was, the louder Ben got. He couldn’t stop himself from sounding hysterical, although he knew he wasn’t helping his case in the slightest.

“I think you’ll find I do,” Hux said with a thin smile.

“You can’t just do that! You can’t just –” He glanced self-consciously behind him to see if anyone was there and then lowered his voice to a stage whisper. “You can’t just _kiss_ me and then ignore me! Or do-” This time he flushed red. “Or do what we did in your office and then pretend nothing happened! You won’t talk about it, you won’t even acknowledge that anything happened! You just act like I don’t exist most of the time, and then you go around and just _decide_ who I can spend my time with! It’s not – it’s not right.”

He finished this tirade red in the face and slightly out of breath. He’d had his say, and if Hux chose to fire him now, at least he could say that he didn’t just lie down and take it.

Hux was still maddeningly unmoving and remote. “Are you done?” He asked, like he was talking to a tantruming child.

Ben shrugged tight and angry.

“So let me get this straight. You’ve been consistently sloppy for weeks, and when I take measures to clean up your act, you decide to disrespect me in public, disobeyed my direct order to wait for me, got drunk, and showed up here in an attempt to force my hand. Just because you think I’m not being _fair_ to you. Is that about right?” Hux sneered, the condescension practically dripping from his voice.

“That’s not-”

“Is. That. Right?” Hux asked, taking one threatening step forward.

Ben looked at the ground, upset. “Yeah.” He said quietly.

“Well. I’m glad you got that childish whining out of your system. I want you to take two things away from tonight. First of all, I do not tolerate insubordination. You will not embarrass me like that ever again. Anything that happens between us _stays_ between us. If you ever do something like this again, I’m liable to get nasty. You don’t want that. Understand?” Hux took one more step forward. He was slightly shorter than Ben, but that didn’t seem to matter. Hux held authority in every line of his body. In contrast, Ben would bend to his will, every time.

“Why don’t you just fire me?” Ben said quietly. He felt a tight ball of heat in his stomach, unpleasant and small. He hadn’t expected to get away with saying something like that to his boss. He thought Hux would have just dismissed him immediately. This cold anger was so much worse.

“Because you owe me.” Hux said. “Which brings me to my second point. If you wanted my attention, all you had to do was ask. Although I have a feeling it’s not something you want as much as you think.”

Ben looked up at Hux, eyebrows drawn together in confusion. “What-”

Hux interrupted him again. “Take your clothes off. All of them.”

“What?” Ben gaped.

Hux just looked at him. He wasn’t the kind of man to repeat himself.

Ben glanced nervously behind him. They were alone in the room, but the door was wide-open, and it was possible that somebody could walk in at any moment. He could still hear the muffled sounds of conversation from the party, not nearly as distant as he would like.

“No,” he said, hating how his voice trembled but unable to stop it.

“I won’t ask you twice.” Hux said, icy eyes boring into his.

Ben pressed his lips into a thin line and shook his head. He wasn’t doing this again. No, he’d had it. He’d been down this road before, and he had no interest in continuing. “Fuck off.”

He turned away, and cried out when he felt Hux grab a handful of hair at the back of his head and yank backwards. Ben, completely caught off guard, stumbled backwards, his head bending back. Hux took his moment of surprise to grab one of his arms and pin it behind his back. He was deceptively strong.

Ben stared up at the ceiling in shock. Things had moved so quickly he didn’t know what to do. Hux leaned in close and spoke low in his ear. “Would you like to try that again?”

Ben’s heart beat rabbit-fast in his chest. His neck ached from the rough angle it was pulled into. “Let go of me.” He said, voice strengthless all of a sudden. He had to be imagining this. There was no way this was happening.

Hux tightened his grip on Ben’s hair, yanking it back even more until he was unbalanced, all of his weight being held up by Hux. Ben gasped in pain. “Wrong answer.”

Ben’s breaths came unsteadily. He didn’t like this. He wanted to go. He shouldn’t have come here. This was a stupid idea. He hitched in a breath, the vague idea coming to him to shout for help.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Hux said, voice still low in his ear. “You’re in quite a… compromising position.”

That made Ben close his mouth. He struggled, trying to get out of Hux’s grasp, but all that got him was his arm wrenched even higher up his back. His shoulder screamed in pain. He eventually stilled, feeling like he was caught in a trap.

“Why are you doing this?” Ben gasped, wishing he could see Hux’s face. Hux was just a weight behind him, a voice.

Hux laughed. It was a thin, cruel sound that chilled Ben. “You asked for it. Is this what you wanted? Your chief complaint seemed to be that I wasn’t paying enough attention to you. Well, you have my attention now.”

Without warning, Hux released him and stepped away. Ben sprawled on the floor, taken by surprise. He quickly sat up and scrambled back like Hux was about to come at him with a knife. He stared up at his boss, eyes wide.

Hux looked down at him with dark eyes, hands in his pockets, a cold smile across his face. Ben wished he could go back to a week ago when he didn’t know what Hux’s smile looked like. “I told you to do something, Organa. You’re wasting my time.”

Ben was having a hard time stringing his thoughts into a recognizable pattern. He realized in a vague way he was afraid. He grasped at straws, looking to find a way out of this situation. “But… somebody could just walk in.” He whined, hating the plaintive tone to his voice. When had this happened? When had he started trying to appease his boss to get out of a nightmare situation?

The thought of being interrupted didn’t seem to concern Hux. He just raised an eyebrow. “Well, you’d better hurry then.”

Sometime, Hux had moved so that he was between him and the door. Ben’s mind raced, considering his options. He could try to just run, but for all he knew, Hux was faster than him. He’d already proven he was stronger than he looked. He could scream for help, but what would he tell them? After the frankly unprofessional way he’d been behaving the last couple days, he would probably come out looking like he was at fault. God, what was he going to do?

He was evidently taking too long to comply, because Hux took one step forward.

Without consulting his brain, Ben’s fingers dropped to unknot his tie and then unbutton his shirt. His hands were shaking, and he kept his wide eyes trained on Hux, like he was worried about being jumped. This was at least partly familiar. He’d done this before. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

Slowly, he eased his shirt off, the material pooling around his wrists. After his tie and shirt were off, he slowed to a halt. The next part, if he went through with it, would be crossing an invisible line. It would really be a point of no return. This thing, this strange back-and-forth situation between him and Hux couldn’t be ignored after something like that.

True to his word, Hux didn’t ask again. He just waited, eyebrows raised, for Ben to comply.

Ben swallowed with difficulty past a huge lump in his throat. His shaking hands fell to his waist. As slowly as he thought he could get away with, Ben unbuckled his belt. Unbuttoned his pants and lowered the zipper. Eased them past his waist and down his legs. He felt feverish, shaky. His heart felt like it was bouncing around his chest.

He kicked off his shoes and socks, then his pants joined his shirt in a puddle next to him. The only thing left was his underwear. He kept sitting on the cold, marble floor, his eyes drawn obsessively to the half-open door past Hux. He both wanted someone to walk in and dreaded the possibility at the same time. What would they think of him if they walked in and saw him like this in front of Hux?

He hoped Hux would be satisfied with this display, but Hux didn’t say anything, clearly expecting him to go all the way. Ben swallowed compulsively, unable to bring himself to go the final step.

“I said everything, Ben.” Hux said in a voice that brooked no disagreement.

It might have been the use of his first name, but Ben found himself doing what Hux told him to do. He stuck his thumbs into the waistband of his underwear, and with a quick, graceless movement, he took them off.

Now that he was completely naked, Ben didn’t know what would happen next. Humiliation and fear fought for control in his gut, and his mind raced wildly. He wasn’t an idiot, he knew what… this meant. Hux was going to fuck him. It wasn’t like he hadn’t _thought_ about it before, he’d in fact thought about it quite vigorously when he was alone in his apartment, images of Hux bending him over his desk and thrusting into him while holding his wrists in an iron grip flickering across his mind. But those were just _fantasies_. Jerking off to the thought of his icily-handsome boss taking advantage of him was miles different than the reality, and now that he actually found himself in the situation, all Ben felt was humiliation and discomfort. He wanted to go home. He wanted this to be over.

Hux twirled a finger, indicating that Ben should get up. “Well? Let me see you.”

Face aflame with embarrassment, Ben slowly got his feet under him and stood up, his legs rubbery. Now that he was naked, he realized how _cold_ it was in this room. The marble floor was positively freezing, and goosebumps jumped out on every inch of his skin. Aforementioned skin which was now on display for Hux to take in at his leisure.

Ben hunched his shoulders and covered himself up as best as he could. He had never been a huge fan of his own body. He was too tall, too lanky to be to most people’s tastes. He knew he was kind of odd-looking, and being put on display like this now was very uncomfortable for him.

Hux watched him now with the eyes of a man assessing a recent purchase. He looked like he was cataloguing him, separating him into pieces and tallying up the worth of each part. Ben watched him nervously, waiting with dread for Hux to come over and touch him finally. His left shoulder ached from where Hux had yanked it, and his scalp still tingled from where Hux had pulled his hair.

Hux walked a slow circle around him before coming around to his front again. He stood close. “Straighten your shoulders.” He ordered.

Ben did, training his eyes off Hux’s shoulders at the door. Every time the far-off voices came any closer, his heart leapt. His lips trembled, and he didn’t realize he’d started to shiver from the cold or nerves.

Hux studied him. “Hmm. Promising.” He said, a thread of approval sending a dark thrill twisting through Ben’s gut.

“I think you’d make a nice picture on display. Shall I take you on a walk and see if anyone else agrees?” Hux mused.

Ben’s heart leaped in his chest. “No. Please don’t do that.” He gasped.

Hux tilted his head slightly. Ben had known him long enough now to be able to tell he was having fun. “Organa. We’re still at a work function. I still require that you show me proper respect.”

Ben felt nervous enough he thought he might collapse at the knees. “Please, sir. Please don’t do that.”

A sly smile grew on Hux’s face. “Better. What are you going to do for me if I spare you?”

Ben’s throat went dry. Here it was. He swallowed and his throat clicked. “What – What do you want me to do, sir?” He croaked.

“Open your mouth.” Hux said, tone flat.

Ben did, quailing inside. He thought he was going to pass out. He was going to die. He didn’t really _want_ Hux to touch him, but he did want him to just get it over with. This anticipation was killing him.

Hux stepped right up to Ben, so close Ben could feel the heat from Hux’s body. Hux’s eyes were alight with interest.

Ben let out a soft sound of surprise when Hux slid his thumb into his mouth. Hux’s grip leveraged his jaw open a little wider, and the pad of his finger slid across Ben’s tongue toward the back of his mouth. Ben jumped, his tongue moving automatically, reflexively licking Hux’s finger.

Hux held his mouth open, tilting his head first one way and then the other like he was examining livestock. Ben whimpered.

“You will never embarrass me like that ever again. Understand?” Hux said, eyes boring into him.

Ben’s head was held so tight he couldn’t nod. He let out a strangled sound.

Hux’s grip tightened. “Well?”

“ _Yeth, thir_ ,” Ben mumbled with difficulty around the intrusion of Hux’s finger.

Hux pushed his thumb deeper into Ben’s mouth until he gagged. Ben jerked and brought up a hand to push Hux away. Hux grabbed his wrist with his free hand and held it behind his back. He pulled Ben closer until their bodies were flush together. Ben moaned and wriggled a little, but Hux didn’t give him any quarter. His exposed skin was freezing except where it touched Hux. There, it burned.

“What was that?” Hux asked, false sweetness overlaying his voice.

Ben could feel saliva gathering in his mouth, so he reflexively swallowed, in the process sucking on Hux’s finger. If possible, he turned even more red.

“ _I’m thorry, thir. I won’t em-_ ” He faltered, the word embarrass entirely too much for him to articulate right now. “ _I won’t- I’ll lithen to you_.” He garbled his apology around the finger in his mouth, wondering if it was possible to drop dead from humiliation.

“It is very foolish to make me angry. Lucky for you, you have… other attributes I’m interested in. I’m willing to let you make it up to me.” Hux smiled.

Ben couldn’t stop himself from swallowing again. His tongue slid against the pad of Hux’s finger. He tried to get loose again, but Hux didn’t allow him to move.

“What do you say?” Hux said, voice demanding again.

“ _Thank you, thir_.” Ben mumbled, horrified to find out he was on the verge of tears.

Hux pushed his finger in until Ben gagged again. “You won’t try to force my hand again?”

_“No,_ ” Ben croaked. When he blinked, he felt warm tears fall down the bridge of his nose. He’d lost that particular battle.

“You won’t try and bring up our private business in front of others again?”

“ _No_.”

Hux paused to judge his sincerity. “Good. If I have to remind you again, I won’t be quite so nice.”

Ben squeezed his eyes shut and let out what he didn’t want to admit was a sob.

Hux pulled his hand away from his face and released his arm. With a little grimace of disgust, Hux wiped Ben’s saliva off on Ben’s bare chest.

The second he was released, Ben stumbled away. He couldn’t get away from Hux fast enough. He was disgusted to find himself sniffling. He had to wipe tears away with the base of his palms. He was hoping that was it, that Hux was done with him now, but he was horrified to realize Hux was still looking at him with a speculative expression on his face that sent a chill down Ben’s spine. He hugged his arms around his chest, feeling cold and small.

“Can I go now?” Ben asked in a small voice.

“No. I think you should make it up to me for wasting my time.” Hux said, a dark smile on his face. Ben’s mind raced wildly. It was obvious how much Hux was enjoying this, and if Ben had ever thought he had an ounce of control over this situation, he certainly knew better now.

Ben’s eyes flickered up to Hux’s and then lowered again. He hunched his shoulders and stepped back. He felt a little sick.

“Get down on the ground. Hands and knees. Go on now,” Hux said in a condescendingly sweet voice.

Ben tasted bile. He thought about running again, but Hux was between him and the door, and he didn’t know where he thought he was going to go without any clothes.

Heart in his throat, he followed instructions. The marble floor was unforgiving and cold on his skin. Before anything could happen, they were interrupted by the sound of someone out in the hallway. Ben froze. Hux glanced back at the open doorway, seemingly unconcerned.

“Where the hell is the bathroom in this place? Is it up here?” An unfamiliar woman’s voice called to someone else in the hallway outside.

Ben cringed, and started looking around wildly for somewhere to hide, but this room was so empty. He didn’t have anywhere to go, so he just froze in place.

To his unutterable relief, Hux began walking towards the door to head them off, but it was unnecessary. Somebody else called out to the woman, and their voices disappeared back downstairs, leaving Ben and Hux alone again.

Ben stared up at Hux with huge eyes. Hux took his sweet time walking closer. Ben stiffened and closed his eyes when Hux walked around behind him. He couldn’t breathe, he was just waiting for… whatever Hux was going to do.

He jumped when Hux’s hand touched the base of his neck. He almost leaped to his feet again, but Hux tightened his grip for a moment, like he was calming a spooked animal. Ben swallowed in his dry throat as Hux’s hand slowly ran down his back, brushing over every exposed knob of his spine on the way down. Hux didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to.

When Hux’s hand reached the small of his back, Ben felt like he was on the verge of nervous collapse. Was this really happening? Here, where there were people not a few hundred yards away, completely unaware of what was going on? Words jostled in the back of his throat, wanting to beg Hux to slow down, to wait for a second, but he’d never been able to convince Hux of anything before now, so he didn’t know why this time would be any different. He stayed silent and still, even though every instinct was screaming at him to do something.

Hux paused with his hand resting proprietarily at the small of Ben’s back, his skin cold, air cold, marble floor cold. The world seemed to hang in the balance for a charged second. Ben was nearly sick with anticipation.

And then Hux stepped away, and Ben nearly collapsed to the floor, like Hux’s contact was the only thing keeping him up.

Hux walked a few feet away and took a look at his watch to check the time. “Now, I’ve spent entirely too much time on you. If we weren't in public, we could have taken our time, but I'll just save that for another day. I have a party to get back to.”

With no further comment, Hux left the room.

Ben blinked after him, mouth gaping open. _That was it?_ Despite the fact that he’d been terrified, he couldn’t explain the small part of him that almost felt a little disappointed. Yet again, Hux had left him here unfulfilled, confused, burning with questions that had no answers.

The second he was realized Hux wasn’t coming back, Ben lunged for his clothes left scattered on the floor. He jumped into them, pulling them on as fast as he could. He couldn’t stop sniffling.

Once he was dressed, he ran for the door, at the last second remembering to check around the corner to see if anyone was there. The floor was deserted. He hurried down the stairs, eyes trained on the door, head down a little so anybody passing wouldn’t see his surely disheveled state.

He was almost clear when he caught sight of Sam looking through the jackets for his. His eyebrows drew together in concern when he saw Ben.

“Hey, you okay?”

Ben mumbled something and practically sprinted out the door. The cold night air hit him in the face like a slap. Any traces of his intoxicated state had by now completely disappeared.

He made it two blocks away before he ducked into an alley and hunched down on the ground, muffling the sound of his crying in his shirt sleeve. Why hadn’t he done anything? Why hadn’t he shouted for help before he acquiesced to taking his clothes off? Hux wouldn’t have risked public embarrassment like that. He could have gotten away if he wanted, but instead he’d just followed instructions, submitted with barely a complaint. What the hell was wrong with him? He felt shaky and weak, and it took a long time before he was able to stand up and keep walking.

That night, when he was back in his apartment, it took a long time for him to calm down enough so that he could think. He felt like he was going to buzz out of his skin. He felt trapped and didn’t know what to do. His first instinct was to call Rey.

She answered on the fifth ring, sounding out of breath. Although it was pretty late, she was probably working out. Rey was training to be on the Olympic fencing team, and that took up a lot of her time. “Hey, Ben. What’s up?”

Ben had a hard time speaking for a moment. His words caught in his throat. What was he going to say? When he’d picked up the phone, he had been planning on telling her everything, but now that the moment had come, he lost his nerve. “What are you up to?”

“Training.” Rey let out a long sigh like she was sitting down. There was a clattering sound in the background, likely her putting her equipment away. “Tracy has me going until ten almost every night this week. It’s murder. I’m about to drop dead, I’m so tired. We’ve got a couple matches coming up in a few months, and apparently there’s going to be all these important people there, so we have to be on our A game.”

“Wow. Do you think this could be the year?” Ben asked. It took a concerted effort to sound normal.

Rey sighed. “Maybe for a couple other of the guys, but I don’t think I’m quite ready. Probably the next year or two for me. Fingers crossed. I still have to perfect my technique.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll knock them dead.” Ben said. It was nice to hear her voice.

There was a long, comfortable silence on the line as Rey took her shoes off and dealt with some of her equipment. “Not that I don’t love to talk to you, but was there a reason you called?” She asked finally.

Again, Ben came inches away from telling her and then backed off. He was sure Rey would be on his side, she was his friend after all, but the shame of what he’d done tonight swirled sluggishly in his gut. He would tell her what had happened, and her first question would be why he had gone along with it. Why hadn’t he just walked right out the door when Hux laid down his ultimatum? Ben didn’t know. In the moment, he’d felt so trapped, like a deer in headlights, and all he could think to do was what he was told. It wasn’t like Hux had locked him in the room or forced him to take his clothes off. He could have run, he could have screamed, but he didn’t. Didn’t that mean he’d deserved what happened?

“I just… I just wanted to hear your voice. It’s been a really long day.” He said finally.

“You still pining after Caleb?” Rey asked, her voice sympathetic. “I know that was a blow, but somebody else will come along.”

Ben had completely forgotten about what had gotten him into trouble until she mentioned it. After tonight, Caleb seemed so far-away and unimportant he barely remembered that he existed. Rey knew that Caleb had moved away, although Ben had failed to mention to her the underlying cause of the move. He knew the topic of Hux and his job was a touchy one between them, and he hadn’t wanted to get into it with her. He already knew what her stance on it was. That was another reason he didn’t tell her what happened tonight. He didn’t want to hear the subtle but obvious judgment in her voice. _I told you so_.

“Yeah, I just… Yeah.” Ben hesitated. He wanted to ask for advice, he needed someone’s help, but he didn’t know what to say. He’d gotten himself into this mess, he had to get himself out of it.

“Is there something going on?” Rey asked.

“What? No. Why?”

“Nothing, I just… You sound kind of… off.” Rey said.

“Everything’s fine. I should let you go. It’s late and you sound like you need some rest.” Ben said quickly, not wanting her to get more suspicious and keep asking questions.

“Okay… Goodnight, Ben.”

“Goodnight.”

Ben went to sleep that night with disjointed, dark dreams of being held down by some unseen, titanic force, pushed and pulled every which way until he just went limp and stopped fighting. He tossed and turned all night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear... Ben, it's probably not a good call to antagonize Hux...
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this extra-long chapter! Next one will be up in 2 weeks.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Ben woke up an hour before his alarm. He’d been up all night, dreading the morning. He’d obsessed over what to do, and still hadn’t really reached a conclusion. He watched the clock move closer and closer to the time when he would have to get up.

After it passed it, Ben stayed in bed. He watched several important milestones pass. When he should be done getting dressed and in the kitchen. When he should have his shoes and coat on and headed out the door. When he should catch his train. When he should arrive at the office with Hux’s coffee ready to go. When Hux should arrive. After seven o’clock, he stared at his phone with dread, waiting for it to ring, not knowing what he was going to do when it did.

He was half-expecting it to go off immediately at 7:01, that Hux would call demanding he come in right away. His phone was silent. 7:15. 7:30. Nothing. By 8:30, Ben was tired of lying in bed, so he got up and got dressed.

He wandered into his kitchen and made coffee, although his stomach was still too knotted up to think about drinking it. He sat at the counter with his cooling coffee mug between his hands, staring at his silent phone. Hux obviously knew he wasn’t in the office now. Why hadn’t he called?

He was still sitting there at ten o’clock. Still nothing. By then, he was cold and tired of sitting in an uncomfortable chair. He migrated to the couch, and made the halfhearted effort to turn on some show, but he ended up just pausing it and scrolling through his phone, dreading the inevitable call.

It was noon by the time he decided no call was coming. Maybe he’d gotten away with it. Maybe Hux would just never call, and as long as Ben didn’t go into the office ever again, he could just put this entire thing behind him. He should start looking for a new job. Like today.

He was just thinking he might actually make himself some real food when there was a knock at the door. Ben froze and whipped his head around to look. He hoped beyond hope whoever it was would just go away. There was a second knock.

Ben inched up to the door and peeked through the fisheye lens. It was Hux, his expression impossible to decipher through the distortion. Ben didn’t move. If he just didn’t answer, Hux would eventually have to go away, right?

“Organa, I know you’re there. Open the door.” Hux said, a little louder than a conversational tone, but not shouting. He wasn’t the type to do that. He knew Ben was hovering just on the other side of the door and would hear him. Ben hated to prove him right.

Ben waited in silence, holding his breath, hoping that Hux would just give up and leave if he waited long enough. It’s not like Hux would kick the door down or anything. The image made hysterical laughter rise in his throat, and he had to clap a hand over his mouth to keep it in.

The two of them stood on opposite sides of the door, both knowing the other was standing on the other side waiting.

“Ben,” Hux lowered his voice enough that Ben had to press his ear against the door to hear him. Even in this situation, where he couldn’t even see him, Hux knew Ben would comply. “If you want to make this difficult, we can. I can get building security to let me in, and I know you don’t want that. The end result will still be me coming in. So you might as well make things easy on yourself and open the door.”

Ben opened the door, realizing he was still in his sleep shirt and pants, that his hair was a mess and he was sure his eyes were rimmed from lack of sleep. “Go away,” he spat.

Hux completely ignored this pronouncement, walking right into the apartment like he owned the place. Ben closed the door and came after him until they emerged into the living room. Ben had his arms crossed over his chest, uncomfortable images from last night playing in his head. He made sure to keep enough distance between them that Hux wouldn’t be able to grab him.

Hux looked completely unchanged, spotless as usual, navy blue suit bringing out the color in his eyes. He was carrying a file folder in one hand. “I don’t recall giving you leave to take a sick day.”

Ben hunched his shoulders and thinned his lips. “I quit.” He said, finally saying the words aloud a massive weight off his shoulders. It was finally out. The rest of this conversation might be unpleasant, but after today, he wouldn’t have to see Hux ever again.

Hux smirked. “No, you don’t.”

Ben opened his mouth to retort, but Hux interrupted him. “Do you know what I found when I came into my office this morning?”

“A lack of coffee?” Ben groused.

Hux smiled again. Ben didn’t like it. He’d thought Hux would be angry. “Besides that. I found a bottle of very expensive Macallan brandy upended on the floor. You know Macallan goes for four thousand a bottle. Not to mention the fact that the carpet will need to be steam-cleaned.”

Ben cringed. He’d been so out of sorts last night that he completely forgot about it. That was a lot of money for him, but if that’s what it took to get free of Hux, he’d fork it over and deal with the consequences later.

“I’ll pay for it,” he said, already knowing he’d have to dip into his savings and unsure if even that would cover it. He’d been barely skating by for a while now. His apartment wasn’t cheap.

Hux didn’t even acknowledge this. He pulled something out of his pocket, or rather two somethings. It was the bronze figurine of the bull that Ben had accidentally stepped on last night. It had been neatly decapitated, and some of the more delicate detailing on the side had been crushed.

“Do you know where this comes from?” Hux asked innocently.

“No…” Ben said, internally cringing. Oh god, how much was this going to cost? He might have to ask his mom for money, something he would rather die than do.

“This was a gift from a longstanding client of mine, Dale Hearst, when I joined the firm. I assume you know the Hearsts?” Hux asked.

Ben nodded mutely. The Hearst family owned practically half the country. He couldn’t avoid knowing who they were.

“This figurine is part of a set of seven that was made by a fairly infamous Russian sculptor. This is two hundred years old and quite irreplaceable. When these were up for auction when Dale Hearst’s father bought these, they went for 150,000 dollars a piece. Sometimes more.”

The blood drained out of Ben’s face. He was fucked. He was so fucked.

“I don’t… I don’t have that kind of money. I couldn’t get that kind of money in a million years.” Ben gasped, feeling a little faint.

Hux’s grin widened just a little bit. “Well, you should have thought about that before you trashed my office. I don’t feel too sorry for you.”

All of Ben’s thoughts were crashing up against this big brick wall in front of him. 150,000 dollars. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. “Can’t… Can’t you get it fixed?” He asked weakly, already knowing the answer.

Hux gave him a condescending smile. “The expression ‘you break it, you buy it’ comes to mind.”

Ben felt nauseous. He stumbled over his words for a few moments. Hux watched him with a sharp gleam in his eyes that spelled nothing good for Ben. “I – Can’t you, it’s-”

Hux interrupted him. “Tell me, how closely did you read your employment contract when you signed it?”

Ben shrugged, his head feeling fuzzy with panic.

“Why don’t you take a look?” Hux said, handing him the file folder.

With shaking hands, Ben slid the papers out of the folder. To be honest, he hadn’t read it very carefully when he was hired. He just assumed, since this was a law firm, that whatever was in the contract was on the level. Of course, now, after having worked there for a few months, he had enough knowledge to know a little better.

Hux had helpfully highlighted the part of the contract he wanted Ben to review. Ben struggled to comprehend the legal jargon that he was looking at, but after a minute, he got the gist of it. This clause was buried in page eight of the contract under detailing of hazard pay and overtime policies. In the case of willful or accidental damage of property during the course of his work, Ben would be held liable to either pay off the cost, or if he was unable or unwilling to do so, work it off, the amount he was willing to put into it taken out of his paycheck. Ben quickly did the math. That would take… years. He felt faint.

He held out the contract and shook it. “This can’t be legal,” he protested.

“Well, you’re welcome to take me to court to try and prove otherwise.” Hux grinned his shark’s smile. That smile said _you’re right where I want you_. Of course Hux was the best and most ruthless lawyer in the city. Ben wouldn’t be able to find anyone who would be able to go against him, and even if he did, he couldn’t afford them. He was stuck. Plain and simple.

Ben just stared at him silently.

“Of course, I’m not completely unreasonable.” Hux continued in a musing kind of voice. “I realize this is quite a lot of money for someone like you. I think, after you’ve worked off at least some of the cost, and under certain conditions, I might be persuaded to release you from your contract.”

“What kind of conditions?” Ben asked. He thought he might throw up.

Hux laughed a little bit. “Now _that_ is the kind of question you should have asked when you were hired. I suppose you’ll know better next time.”

“Are you going…” Ben’s throat closed up. “Are you going to…” _Fuck me_ was the sentence he couldn’t finish. Images of kneeling in Hux’s darkened office and Hux sliding his thumb into his mouth and examining him like a purchase flickered across his mind. It was just occurring to him how much trouble he was in.

Ben had never seen Hux look so pleased before. He looked like a cat with a full stomach, satisfied with a meal well-earned. “Let’s just say it is in your best interest to stay on my good side.”

“That’s kind of… vague…” Ben said slowly, his stomach currently somewhere near the basement.

“It is, isn’t it?” Hux said with a maddening smile.

“Um.” Ben said. That was all he could think to say. He wasn’t doing such a hot job thinking at the moment.

Hux eyes raked over him in an assessing manner, and although Ben was fully clothed, he felt the uncomfortable sensation of being undressed. “Now, since I’m in a giving mood, and the day is wasted anyway, feel free to take the rest of the day off. Get some rest. But you will be in the office tomorrow, on time. Without complaint.”

Ben didn’t answer for a long moment. He stared at Hux, wondering if this was really happening to him, if Hux was serious. Surely there was a joke, a punchline somewhere. Nothing. He made a vaguely committal strangled sound in his throat.

Hux held a hand up to his ear. “What was that?”

“…Okay,” Ben said finally, voice thin.

Hux took another step forward, and Ben instinctively stepped back, alarm prickling the back of his neck. Hux’s smile only grew. “Still didn’t hear you.”

“Yes, sir.” Ben would welcome being taken out by a sniper at this moment.

Hux nodded, satisfied, and then let himself out of Ben’s apartment.

Once he was gone, Ben slid to the ground right in the middle of the room. He stared blankly into space. The prospect of going into work tomorrow seemed distant, might as well be next year. How had he fucked up _this_ badly? Every time he considered it might not be so bad after all, he remembered the fact that Hux hadn’t even seemed to be that upset about Ben breaking some priceless figurine. In fact, he seemed a little overjoyed about the leverage this now gave him over Ben.

He thought about the countless red flags he’d overlooked just because he wanted to get ahead, because he’d liked the way Hux had given him so much attention, seemed to see something in him. The spotlight focus of a man like Hux was overwhelming, and Ben had allowed that to blind him to the danger he was in. Now he was trapped. Trapped for potentially _years_ , unless Hux granted him release of the contract, pending the fulfillment of a vague set of _conditions_. And who knew what that meant. It could be anything.

He was fucked.

* * *

Ben stayed true to his word, showed up to work the next morning on time. He couldn’t exactly say he was eager, but he was hoping that would stay his secret. He was really nervous, more than even his first day. He almost missed Hux’s arrival because he had to duck into the bathroom and fend off a lightning-fast-onset panic attack, the crook of his elbow planted against his mouth to muffle the sounds of his hyperventilation.

Hux stepped back into his office just a second after Ben did. Ben immediately dropped his eyes and went to take Hux’s coat, hoping he could get through this without a conversation. He froze in place when Hux reached a hand out and brushed aside a curl of hair that had fallen into his face sometime during the bathroom freakout. Ben’s startled eyes leaped up to meet Hux’s. Hux’s expression said that he knew exactly what Ben had been doing before this. Ben stepped back as quickly as he could. Something unspoken passed between them and then the moment was over.

For the most part, work continued as before. Ben’s workload was as heavy as before, and he spent the day struggling to catch up, just barely managing to keep his head above water. The advantage to this was that he barely had time to think about Hux or what the parameters of their new agreement entailed. He was just trying to keep from drowning.

Hux’s office had been cleaned thoroughly and professionally by the time he returned, so at least he didn’t have to look at any evidence of what he’d done. The only people who had really seen anything that disastrous night had been Phasma and Sam. Phasma had her own kingdom to look over, and Ben did his best to avoid her in the hallways. Sam was another thing. Ben had gotten used to eating lunch with him and Jim. They’d become work friends, but Sam had seen him practically fleeing the museum the other night, disheveled and obviously upset. He didn’t want to talk with him about what happened. Luckily, after Ben shut down any conversational feints in that direction a few times, Sam seemed to take the hint and stopped asking.

Ben had been very worried about how the relationship between him and Hux would change, but for the most part, it didn’t. Hux paid him a little more attention, more often asking him questions throughout the day. He didn’t try anything too untoward though, which made Ben relax just a little bit. He’d really jumped to the worst possible conclusion, but Hux couldn’t do anything too bad to him during work hours, so if he could manage to never see him outside this building, maybe he would be okay.

The one thing that was different was that Hux would take almost any opportunity to touch Ben. Just small things, here and there, but it was such a drastic difference from before that it did the work of flustering Ben. Once morning when Ben took his coat, Hux put a hand around the back of his neck and ran a thumb across it. When Ben startled and looked up at him, Hux reminded him to brush all the creases out before he hung it up. When Ben went into the office to hand Hux files, Hux’s fingers would brush against his in a way that he didn’t think was accidental. When Hux came across Ben waiting for the elevator, he brazenly rested a hand on the small of his back, right in the middle of the hallway. Ben jumped and tried to step away, but Hux held him there. Didn’t say anything, didn’t even look at him, but it was a clear message all the same.

These touches were small things, infrequent, but they added up. Ben didn’t care for what they meant.

Despite this, all in all, nothing much had changed until the end of that week. They had a client upstate who had just died, and the execution of his will needed to be overseen in person. Instead of coming down to the city, the family requested Hux come to them. That meant that Hux would be spending three days in the company of these strangers upstate. Ben was charged with making the hotel reservations and other small details, and by the day before the scheduled departure, Ben was secretly relieved that Hux would be gone for three days. Maybe he would have enough space to figure out what exactly he was going to do about this mess he was stuck in.

Those conceptions were shattered when Hux walked into the room on his way out the door at the end of the day. “Organa, you’re going to want to bring your packed bag with you tomorrow, because I’d like to get out of town before rush hour.”

Ben blinked up at him, confused. “What?”

Hux’s tone made it clear that he thought he was acting like a simpleton. “William Carter’s will execution. You’re coming with me. I am in need of your services.”

“Oh, uh.” Ben desperately tried to think of the professional way to say _Do I have to?_ “Wouldn’t I be better backup if I were here in the office? Just in case anything came up.”

Hux gave him a condescending look like he knew exactly what Ben was trying to do. “No, you’ll be of more use to me in person.”

Ben stomach sank, but he nodded, trying to appear amenable. “Okay. What about the hotel rooms? I only booked the one for you.”

“I took care of everything.” Hux said, those dark eyes assessing him as always. “Be ready to go tomorrow.”

And that was it. He just assumed that Ben would comply, and the worst part was, he would. He didn’t have another choice.

The next day came sooner than Ben would have liked. Rey and everyone else had invited him to the opening of a bar uptown that was apparently very hard to get into. This promised to be a fun night, but Ben turned it down. He hadn’t really wanted to spend time with other people this past week. He knew it was illogical, but he almost felt like his friends would be able to sense the weakness on him if they met in person, that somehow they would see the stain on him. What had happened with Hux was bad enough, he didn’t need anyone else to know about it. He’d felt like that since the night at the museum, and the news of his unexpected trip only made that worse.

He’d been canceling on a lot of things lately, and it was harder to justify it by saying that it was all due to him being busy at work. By the end of a day dealing with Hux, the prospect of having to talk to friends and act normally was usually too much to handle.

Ben stowed his bag under his desk when he made it in early this morning. He’d woken up with a headache that felt like an icepick digging into his right eye, and it had only gotten worse since then. All he wanted to do was pop a few aspirin, turn his phone off and lay on the couch watching mindless TV for the rest of the day. Instead, here he was, yet again having to deal with the whims of his sadistic boss. For three days this time. Ben groaned and pressed his forehead against his desk, savoring the coolness against his skin.

At two o’clock, Ben returned from a short meeting downstairs to find Hux putting his coat on. He straightened his sleeves and glanced over at Ben when he came in. “Did you inform Snoke about the investor’s meeting next week?” He asked.

Ben dropped what he was holding on his desk and straightened his papers desultorily. “Yes, sir.” Since the museum, he usually found it best to keep his responses short and to the point. If Hux chose to see insubordination in his tone, there was really nothing he could do about it. The other option would be arguing, and he’d already tried that and lost.

“Good. Then get your bag. We’re leaving.” Hux said.

Ben tried to fight down the simmering annoyance at just being _told_ what was going on. He got his bag out and dropped it on top of his desk, in the process knocking a few things askew. He just barely caught his tin of pens before they scattered on the ground. If Hux noticed this childish bit of passive-aggression, he didn’t say anything.

Ben went to grab his coat, but Hux got there first. He held it open, prompting Ben to stick his arms in. The inversion of their usual roles gave Ben a turn. With no other choice, he turned his back to Hux and put his arms into the sleeves. Hux pulled the coat up around his shoulders and then smoothed down the shoulder lapels, his hands coming to rest proprietarily on either side of Ben’s arms. Ben shivered a little, but didn’t say anything. He stared at the far wall and waited for this bit of contact to be over.

Hux didn’t let him go. “The seam back here is coming loose. You should get this replaced. Or better yet, buy a new coat. This one is a little shabby.”

Ben frowned at Hux’s dismissive tone, but thankfully he was turned away. “When I have any free time, maybe I will.” He shot back.

There was a beat of silence, and Ben wondered if that comment was unwise, but then Hux chuckled drily. He squeezed Ben’s arms once before stepping away. “Keep it up, and I’ll give you something more to do.”

Ben trailed Hux to the elevator, and Ben expected Hux to press the button for the ground floor, where there was a small surface parking lot that the employees would fight over for a spot. He assumed Hux had a reserved parking spot there, but instead Hux hit the button for the sub-basement.

They emerged into an underground parking ramp with a few dozen parking spots. None of them were marked, but it was obvious that whoever had access to this area belonged here. Ben recognized Hux’s sleek black car. It had been a gray, rainy week but there wasn’t a spot of dirt on his car. Ben wasn’t quite sure how he managed that. It wasn’t as if money could repel the weather. He could just add that to the list of things that didn’t quite make sense about Hux.

Hux didn’t have a bag with him, but when he popped open the trunk, Ben saw he had one packed already. The bag was nice, nicer than his by a mile. In fact, the bag looked like it cost more than a few months’ rent. Ben dropped his in beside Hux’s, thinking that, like his coat, it looked rather shabby when compared with Hux. Although, if he really thought about it, that was just how he usually felt around Hux. Caught off guard, not as good as him. Always having to prove himself.

The thought didn’t do much to improve his mood. Or his headache.

Hux slid behind the wheel with a grace Ben could never hope to match, and pulled out of the underground garage into the gray, rainy city. Almost immediately, he had to turn on the windshield wipers, and they created a thumping rhythm that, after a while, became almost soothing.

To Ben’s relief, Hux didn’t seem very interested in conversation for the time being. He navigated the midday traffic with ease, moving through the city streets without a thought on his way to the highway. Ben propped his chin on his hand and looked out the passenger window, charting the movement of rain across his window and trying to will his headache away.

Once they were free of the city, Ben wanted to pull out his phone to pass the time, but he didn’t want to risk a comment from Hux. He was hoping if he could get through these three days without an argument with Hux, he would be better for it. The nebulous terms of their arrangement were still hanging over his head, but it had been a week, and so far Hux hadn’t really done anything to make good on it. Maybe he had only wanted to scare him into submission, and was satisfied with Ben continuing to come into work. One some level, he knew he was only deluding himself, but the alternative was too worrisome to think about.

When they were free of the city and into the country, nothing but wheat fields and occasional groves of trees passing on either side, Hux broke the silence. “So, Ben. You’ve been rather quiet this past week.”

“Being blackmailed will do that to you.” Ben said under his breath, still looking out the window.

There was an icy silence in between them that let him know Hux had heard him. He imagined if Hux hadn’t been occupied driving a car at sixty miles an hour, he probably wouldn’t have gotten away with a comment like that.

“This is exactly why I wanted to talk with you before we made it to our destination. I will accept that matters between us will remain tense…”

Ben snorted, still not looking at him.

When Hux continued, he was beginning to sound annoyed, and Ben knew he had better not press his luck any more than he already had. “…Will remain tense for the near future. However, none of that can bleed through to the Carter reading. I need you focused and on task.”

“I already promised that I would take the job seriously.” Ben said with a frown, turning to look sidelong at Hux. He didn’t know why that particular barb was the one to get him to respond, but maybe it had something to do with the fact that his professional integrity was the only type of integrity he had. Hux had fairly clearly demonstrated who pulled the strings in this relationship, but it was still important to Ben that Hux at least thought he was good at his job. If he wasn’t, he was just a liability with no value. As long as Ben kept up his professional value, he had the stupid hope that he would be able to keep Hux off his back in… other areas.

“Yes, but you’ve also demonstrated that you can be hotheaded and a little unreasonable.” Hux noted mildly.

“ _Unreason –”_ Ben cut himself off with an irritated grunt. By Hux’s slight smile, he knew all he was doing was playing into Hux’s hand.

He took a moment to gather himself before speaking. “I don’t want anyone to know about this. I have more to lose. I won’t do anything to jeopardize that.” Ben tried not to sound as bitter as he felt.

Hux switched lanes smoothly. Gray fields rushed past them on both sides. His eyebrows rose and he let out a contemptuous little laugh.

“What?” Ben asked sullenly.

Hux took his eyes off the road to meet Ben’s. Amusement danced in them. “Nothing, I’m just curious what it is you think you have of value that you stand to lose.”

Several unwise things battled to come out of his mouth, but with effort, Ben pushed them down. He was the first to break eye contact and look down at his lap, which seemed to satisfy Hux enough to drop the conversation. The rest of their drive was silent.

It only occurred to Ben to wonder about his accommodations when they arrived at their destination. It was near dinnertime when they made it to the town where the Carter family lived. There was a quaint but well-maintained main street with fancy shops transplanted into vacated historical buildings. The hotel Ben had booked for Hux had been an old boarding house at the turn of the century and had now been refurbished, and was most definitely a nicer choice than the Motel 6 outside of town.

Hux didn’t have trouble finding a parking spot, and Ben trailed behind Hux as they made their way down the street. He didn’t argue when Hux handed Ben his bag to carry as well as his own. It didn’t seem worth it.

Ben began to wonder now where exactly it was he was going to sleep. Hux had said he’d taken care of the accommodations. Ben didn’t know what that meant. He couldn’t imagine Hux had sprung for another room at this hotel, not after the tension between them of late. If he was lucky, Hux had booked him a room at the budget hotel within walking distance. If he wasn’t lucky, he would be bedding down at the fleabag motel after all.

He assumed Hux would want him to bring his bag up to his room and bestow some no-doubt arbitrary instructions on him last minute in an attempt to ruin his night before leaving him to find his own way to whatever hotel he’d been lucky enough to get. So he trailed behind Hux as he marched up to the reception desk.

“Reservation for Hux,” Hux said to the man behind the counter.

Ben didn’t miss the way the concierge’s eyes lingered on Hux and then Ben for just a moment too long. Ben remembered that the reservation he’d made for Hux was, of course, just one bed. He felt the need to clarify the situation with the man, but held himself back. _No, it’s not what it looks like. I’m just his assistant. I’ll be sleeping elsewhere._ He didn’t. He guessed it didn’t really matter what this random man thought about them anyway.

After checking in and getting the key, Hux and Ben made their way to the second floor and down the long, carpeted hallway to Hux’s room. This place was nicely-furnished and old-fashioned. They still had real keys rather than key cards.

They walked into the suite, and Ben set down Hux’s bag on one of the chairs. He hovered awkwardly for a few moments, waiting for Hux to assign him some task to do or at least tell him which hotel he’d be staying at. He couldn’t wait to get out of Hux’s claustrophobic presence, at least for the night.

Hux had taken up a spot at the table near the window and was checking something on his phone when he looked up and realized that Ben was just standing there with his own bag over his shoulder, waiting for instruction.

“Well, feel free to set your bag down somewhere, although I’d prefer it if you’d put it somewhere out of sight. I like things to be neat.”

Ben blinked, shifting his bag to his other shoulder. “Did you need me for something, sir?” Maybe they had some briefs to prepare that Ben hadn’t realized.

Hux was the picture of casual. He looked down at his phone again. “Oh, no. Not tonight. You may go down and get some dinner if you’re hungry. I have some calls to make. I’ll just order something light later on.”

“Oh, well, in that case, could you just let me know where you’ve booked me a room? I’ll just get dinner there, if it’s no big deal…” Ben said, a little confused. Why would Hux care if he ate dinner here or not?

Hux looked up at his phone. “I haven’t booked a second room.”

“What? But you said you’d taken care of it.” Ben asked. Where was he supposed to sleep?

“It seems a bit wasteful to get another room, just for you.” Hux said like he was explaining a very elementary concept. “You will just sleep in here.”

Ben’s brain shut down for business for a few moments. “What?” This seemed like all he could say.

Hux looked up at him, amused. “Do you need to get your ears checked?”

Ben tried his best not to turn his eyes and look at the one thing in the room he didn’t want to acknowledge: the bed. Singular. Nerves fluttered in his stomach.

“I’ll get my own room.” He announced, hoisting his bag on his shoulder, planning on walking down to the closest hotel and booking a room. He turned around and had his hand on the doorknob when Hux spoke up.

“You might find that a bit difficult. There’s a regional volleyball tournament at the local high school this week. The other hotel in town is booked solid, and I imagine this one is too.” Hux said.

Ben didn’t turn around, his hand still around the doorknob. His head was pounding worse than ever. “I’ll walk to the one outside of town.”

“It’s ten miles away, Organa. That will take you hours. Not to mention they’re probably full too.” Hux said in a faintly condescending ‘ _why do you insist on being so difficult’_ kind of tone.

Ben grit his teeth and opened the door, planning on just storming out.

“I don’t need to remind you of our agreement.” Hux said icily.

Ben paused on the threshold, doing his best to control his anger. Without looking at Hux, he dropped his bag just inside the door and then walked out.

It was dark outside, and Ben walked around the block a half-dozen times before he’d managed to burn off some of his energy. There were a few sidewalk cafes still open, and he thought about getting a drink, but he realized he’d left his wallet in his bag back in the room. The main street of this town was picturesque, but Ben couldn’t appreciate it at all in his mood.

The prospect of walking around in the cold got less and less appealing, but even worse was the thought of going back up to the room to Hux, so he went back to the hotel. They had a small, finely-furnished dining room, and he got a table. When the waiter came around to take his order, Ben told him to put this on Hux’s tab. It felt like more of a petty gesture than he would have liked, but he couldn’t find it in him to care much. Petty was what he had.

He drew out his dinner for as long as he possibly could, but eventually it was late enough that he had to concede he needed to go back up to the room. He mounted the stairs with a sense of dread weighing him down. This whole week, he thought he’d gotten off easy, that he’d jumped to conclusions when it came to Hux’s intentions, but now it seemed like his bill was coming due. Hux wanted something from him, and he was going to find out what it was tonight.

When he came back into the room, his heart was in his throat, but he didn’t find anything more sinister than Hux at the table working on something on his laptop. The remains of a quick dinner were on the dresser for the staff to take away the next morning.

Ben slunk into the room, but Hux didn’t say anything. Ben didn’t quite know what he had expected, but visions of Hux grabbing him and forcing his head back at the museum was at the fore of his mind. With a lack of anything to do, Ben sat down in the chair closest to the door and scrolled mindlessly through his phone, pretending that he wasn’t focused on everything Hux was doing.

Eventually, Hux shut down his laptop and Ben looked up. When Hux began to loosen his cuff links in preparation, presumably, of getting undressed, Ben rocketed to his feet and took off for the bathroom, grabbing his bag on the way. As he shut the door, he thought he caught a glimpse of amusement cross Hux’s face.

Ben stayed in there for a long time. If he had his way, he’d stay in here all night. He wondered if he would be able to get away with sleeping in the bathtub or something, but quickly rejected it. He wasn’t that desperate. At least, not yet.

He changed out of his work clothes into a t-shirt and flannel pants as fast as he could like Hux was going to burst through the door at any second. His heart was racing, and he really didn’t know what he was going to do. There was a half-couch of the kind you might see in a doctor’s office, and although he was too tall for it, he thought he could make do. He had no other choice.

At a certain point, he looked at his phone and realized it was past midnight. He couldn’t stand to put this off anymore. When he finally emerged from the bathroom, however, the lights in the room were off. Ben shut off the bathroom light quickly. If Hux was already asleep, all the better for him.

As quietly as he could, Ben inched his way across the room to the small couch. He would lie down on the small couch, and then maybe in twenty minutes or so, he would chance grabbing a pillow from the bed. There was probably an extra blanket in the wardrobe, if he thought he could get that open without waking up Hux.

Those plans were dashed when Ben sat down on the small couch.

“You can’t be planning on sleeping over there all night when there’s a perfectly good bed right here.” Hux’s voice came from the direction of the bed. Definitely not asleep.

Ben froze where he was, clutching his knees with nerves. It was so dark in here he couldn’t see anything. What exactly would Hux want him to do? It couldn’t be benign, not after everything. Ben realized clearly that he was afraid of Hux.

“I would suggest getting over here. You don’t want me to come get you.” Hux said, still collected, still in control.

Ben thought about refusing, thought about arguing, but he knew he’d had that chance earlier, and he’d essentially given in when he’d thrown his bag on the floor. Maybe… maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

So it was with a horrible sense of anticipation that Ben stood up and made his way over to the bed with plodding footsteps. In the gloom, he could just barely make out Hux’s shape on the left side of the bed, so he walked over the right side. He stood there for a few moments, unsure if Hux was looking at him or not. It was too dark to tell.

Very slowly, he pulled back the top sheet. His head was pounding. This was wrong. He just kept waiting for the rug to be pulled out from under him, for Hux to tell him this wasn’t what he had meant at all. Hux didn’t say anything. As slowly as he could, Ben eased into the bed, sliding under the top sheet as gingerly as he could. He was terrified of accidentally brushing against Hux. The idea was at the same time horrifying, and to a certain extent, thrilling.

He didn’t need to worry. The bed was big enough that as long as he kept to his side, he didn’t run the risk of touching Hux at all.

Once he was in, he lay completely flat, staring with blind eyes up at the ceiling and waiting for… something. Whatever it was Hux was going to do to him. He waited for a hand to land on his belly or a kiss or Hux’s body to be pressed up against his. _Something_.

Nothing happened. Ben lay there staring up at the ceiling for a long, long time, but after a while, he realized from the sound of his breathing that Hux had fallen asleep.

Ben waited for something to change, but it didn’t. If he was being honest with himself, he might even be able to admit that he was a little disappointed. After a while, despite himself, he fell asleep too.

* * *

Hux awoke sometime in the middle of the night. He rarely slept through the night. He had the curse of being a very light sleeper. He took a moment to assess where he was. There was just enough light coming in through the window to see his watch on the bedside table. It was still many hours until dawn.

Quietly so as not to disturb his bedmate, Hux rolled over and looked at Ben in the dim light. Despite his reticence and obvious discomfort with the sleeping situation, Ben was fast asleep. He was curled up in sleep, rolled as close to the edge of the bed as he could get without falling off. He had a small furrow of worry in his brow, even deep in sleep that Hux couldn’t help but find oddly endearing.

Hux carefully reached over and moved a few loose strands of hair out of his face. Ben frowned and grumbled something unintelligible in his sleep. From everything Hux had seen so far, it seemed impossible for him to turn off his worry and anxiety over every little thing. Hux was curious if he forgot that even in sleep, but apparently not.

Hux sighed, knowing he should go back to sleep. He had to be awake very early the next morning, after all. But something about having Ben in front of him, asleep and unaware, made him want to make the most of this situation. His intention in making Ben stay in this room with him was only to continue to acclimate Ben to his presence, start to make it normal to be around him, to break down his barriers bit by bit, but he was tired of being patient.

Hux sat up and experimentally ran a hand down Ben’s arm, feeling the warm skin under his palm. Ben shivered in his sleep but didn’t rouse at all. Hux grew bold, grabbing Ben’s shoulder gently and pulling so that Ben rolled over onto his back. For a second, Hux thought he’d overstepped, because Ben’s face frowned like he was regaining consciousness, but then smoothed out. He clutched the sheet and made an unsuccessful attempt to pull it up his body. After he’d settled, Hux pulled the sheet down and uncovered him.

Hux’s heart thudded heavy in his chest, feeling warm looking Ben over. His assistant, and oh, how he was coming to love that little possessive clause he got to append to Ben’s job title. He’d found himself thinking about Ben quite a bit outside of work hours, more than he ever thought he would. He’d chosen Ben for convenience’s sake, but the more he worked on Ben’s barriers, the more he was enjoying his work.

Ben lay vulnerable and unaware, head thrown to one side, mouth gently parted, dark hair in a messy wreath on the pillow, arms thrown casually to one side, shirt riding up his torso to reveal a tantalizing bare expanse of stomach. Here now just for Hux’s consumption, and he didn’t even know it. Hux felt a little thrill at the thought. All he wanted to do right now was wake Ben up and really give him something to remember, but it was a little too soon. He couldn’t ruin all his hard work by forcing something on Ben at the wrong time. He had to be patient, take his time, as much as that galled him.

Ben stirred like he was subconsciously aware of being observed. Or maybe he was just cold. One of his arms reached out for the sheet to cover himself, but grabbed loosely onto the hem of Hux’s pants and tugged. Hux let out a breathy sound and felt heat settling down below.

Well… Maybe this opportunity didn’t have to go _entirely_ squandered. Hux gently untangled Ben’s fingers, getting a thrill from how they twitched and tightened in his. Hux moved Ben’s pliant arm up to rest on the pillow above his head. He did the same with Ben’s other arm, as slowly as possible. The last thing he wanted to do was wake Ben up.

After Ben was laid out for him, Hux slowly, slowly moved so that he was straddling Ben’s waist, making sure that he didn’t land any weight on him. That would only wake Ben up. Ben frowned in his sleep, his mouth still half-open. Hux’s heartbeat sped up at the sight.

Leaning down hover over Ben’s lax face, Hux planted all his weight on his hands on either side of Ben’s head, barely touching him despite how much he wanted to. Hux raked his eyes over his body, taking all of him in at his pleasure. With all his surliness and twitchiness and artifice stripped away, Ben was strangely beautiful. That might be an odd adjective to append to a man, but with his dark eyelashes dappled with the dim starlight coming through the window, his long nose, his full lips, he was like a portrait, all the more appealing for being unaware of his observer.

Hux wanted to see bruises bloom on his skin, to watch those big eyes snap open and fill with tears of pain. He wanted to hear Ben beg him in his anxious, pleading voice. His infatuation with Ben was rapidly turning from a thing of convenience into something more. Tomorrow, after the meeting, after all the important business of this visit was completed, Hux thought he would have the time to indulge, just a little. But for tonight, he would have to settle for something smaller.

“You were very unlucky to be the one to walk into my office, but I’m glad you did,” Hux said in a bare whisper, turning Ben’s sleeping face towards his. He leaned in and kissed Ben’s slack mouth, flitting his tongue inside and relishing the wet heat of his mouth. Ben let out a sleepy moan like he agreed, and Hux thrilled as he felt the sound vibrate down his entire body.

Before he pulled away entirely, Hux bit down on Ben’s earlobe, not hard enough to leave a mark, but enough to draw a muzzy sound of pain from him. Before Ben could awake entirely, Hux returned to his side of the bed with a few smooth motions and closed his eyes, slowing down his breathing to feign sleep.

Ben wriggled in place for a few seconds before settling down again. He might have woken up for a few seconds, but his moment of alarm hadn’t been enough to completely rouse him from sleep.

Hux felt a pleased smile cross his face, and it didn’t take long until he fell into a completely satisfied sleep for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I call this one the "Oh no, there's only one bed!" trope... but for evil >:)
> 
> Also caveat that I don't know anything about antiques and I have no idea how much money they go for, I'm just making shit up to fuck Ben over. Plot-convenient blackmailing, that's what I'm all about.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, DUBIOUS CONSENT. Don't say I didn't warn you.

By the time Ben woke up the next morning, Hux was already awake and dressed. Ben rolled over and yawned, for a moment forgetting where he was. Then he realized he was lying in bed, in the same room as his boss. He woke up right quick.

Hux was wearing clothes that could be described as casual only in the way that those who had a third lake home would describe clothing as casual. It was the kind of clothing that the rich used to signal to others in the same tax bracket that they were all on the same team. He had a navy sports coat over a cream dress shirt, not a full suit but still plenty classy. This was Hux’s version of dressing down while still wanting to impress a client.

He was straightening his hair when he glanced over at Ben. There was nothing in his face that suggested he felt in any way guilty about the night before. For some reason, Ben felt the urge to scrub at his mouth, to cover himself up. He didn’t like the thought that Hux had awoken before him, that he had been able to look at him all he wanted when Ben was asleep and unaware.

Hux motioned to the chair by the bed. Ben’s bag had been rummaged through and clothes had been placed out.

“I’ve picked something for you to wear today. Is this really the best you had to choose from?” Hux asked, as always cool disdain in his voice.

Ben was neatly steered away from being angry at the prospect of Hux digging through his bag by another concern. He swung his legs out of bed and stood up. “What’s wrong with those?” He grumbled, noticing Hux had picked out his most-ironed pair of pants as well as a sweater he’d brought in case it got too cold.

“They’ll do for now, but they look a bit mass-produced. Like you bought them at a department store.” Hux sniffed.

“I did.” Ben frowned, snatching them up anyway. He just wanted to get into the bathroom and away from this conversation as quick as he could.

“Ah.” Hux said, the condescending _Well, that explains it_ unsaid but obvious in his tone.

Ben would have argued more, but he really felt uncomfortable being so comparatively unclothed in the presence of his boss. He just wanted to get dressed and get this day over with as quickly as he could. He was relieved Hux hadn’t explicitly mentioned the whole… sleeping situation, and Ben wanted to keep it that way. In the light of day, he felt a little ashamed of how he almost _wanted_ Hux to touch him last night. He had to keep telling himself this was a situation of convenience, that Hux had been telling the truth and only wanted him on hand in case he needed something, although Ben knew that budget concerns had never been an issue for Hux as long as he’d lived.

After disappearing into the bathroom to get dressed, and taking a few self-indulgent seconds in front of the mirror to silently mouth a few choice phrases he’d like to throw at Hux, Ben emerged ready to go, and they left the room. Ben was relieved that nobody was in the hall when they did. So far, nobody knew about this… whatever this was, and he wanted to keep it that way.

Hux drove them to the location of the will reading, a stately old funeral home just outside of town. When they walked in, there was a room already set aside for the Carter family and associated attorneys. Hux had represented the patriarch that had recently died, and was there to make sure all the assets were distributed to the children and other heirs as the deceased wished. It was already laid out in the iron-clad will, but some of the children had brought their own lawyers, not used to not getting their way.

Hux greeted the family members with a practiced civility and the other attorneys with a professional steeliness. Ben followed behind Hux, feeling extraneous, and, in comparison with all these perfectly coiffed, ivy-league graduates more than ever like he didn’t belong. He clutched his bag with one hand and kept his eye out for some kind of refreshments table he could escape to.

After the initial round of barbed pleasantries, everyone began to spread out around the room and settled in for what was sure to be an extended round of what really amounted to high-stakes haggling. Ben set his things out on the table next to Hux, and then got his wish when he noticed a long table set with pastries and coffee. He was dying for some caffeine, anything that would help him deal with what was sure to be a long day.

The young woman that had set everything out smiled at him when he walked up, perhaps sensing that Ben was closer to her than any of the rich snobs in the room. She popped open a new container of half-and-half from the cooler by her hip and handed it to him.

“Here. You look like you need it.” She smiled, brown hair in a bob framing her face. Her nametag said her name was Emily.

Ben took it gratefully and dumped in more than was necessary. “Thanks. You realize that’s something that bartenders say to their patrons before they slide across a few fingers of free whiskey, right?”

Emily laughed. “Well, just call this one a virgin Irish coffee, then.”

Ben took a sip of the blessedly hot coffee and smiled back. “A little light on what counts.”

Emily raised her eyebrows conspiratorially and looked behind him. “Yeah, well, I figured your boss over there wouldn’t appreciate me getting you drunk at eight in the morning. He looks like a bit of a hardass.”

Ben glanced behind him briefly. Hux was ostensibly arranging his papers on the table in front of him, but there was a frown line down the center of his forehead as he glanced over Ben’s way. “You have no idea.”

“Well, let me at least offer you some raspberry danish. We can call it reinforcement for the day.” Emily said, putting a danish on a small plate and holding it out to him.

Before Ben could take it, Hux appeared at his shoulder and took the plate. “No, thank you, miss. I don’t need him getting crumbs all over legal documents. This is an important matter this morning.” Instead of putting the danish back on the refreshments table, Hux dropped it in the adjacent trash.

Emily and Ben both blinked at the disappeared danish. Ben’s face flamed in embarrassment. Emily looked back at Hux, her warm smile from a few moments before now gone. “Of course. I have to get this cart back to the kitchen. Please let us know if you need anything else.”

Emily pushed her empty cart back through the door and out of sight. Hux took Ben’s elbow discreetly and led him back to the table. He leaned in to speak lowly in his ear. “I don’t want you flirting with waitresses during business hours, Organa.”

As unobtrusively as he could, Ben shook his arm out of Hux’s grip and took a seat. “I wasn’t flirting.” He grumbled.

“No? Then what were you doing?” Hux said, having a talent of talking sidelong at Ben, but to outside eyes looking like he wasn’t speaking at all. This was a talent that came in handy in the courtroom.

Irritation flamed in his chest. “I was just talking. What, are you going to forbid me from talking to people next?”

“I might consider it, if you keep up this attitude of yours.” Hux said coldly. Ben was angrily shuffling his papers around just to have something to do, but Hux laid a heavy hand over Ben’s left wrist, pushing it down flat on the table.

Ben stopped what he was doing and looked at Hux. The thing was, he wasn’t entirely sure that Hux wasn’t serious about what he’d just said. “Look, you might be my boss, and I might not be able to do anything about that, but you can’t make me just… do whatever you want with no question.” He hissed, pissed off but trying to make sure nobody else in the room noticed their cold argument.

Hux tightened his grip for a moment, his pale eyes flat. “Remember you said that tonight.” He held eye contact for a moment longer and then let go, turning to the business of the day.

The rest of the day was far too busy to have any time left to psychoanalyze his and Hux’s relationship. The will reading turned out to be far more contentious than expected. They only made it through a quarter of it by the end of the day. There were four children, and they all wanted a bigger slice of the estate than they were getting, and they all had to have their say.

Hux easily parried any and all arguments, supporting what his dead client wanted to the letter, although this did take time. Ben had a good memory, so he was easily able to pull out the appropriate piece of documentation needed to support Hux’s point whenever needed. When he wasn’t doing that, he was taking furious notes, knowing Hux would want them typed up later. There was a short recess for a catered lunch, and then right back into the morass. When he had been booking the hotel room, Ben had wondered how on earth a will reading would take three days, but by four o’clock, he wondered if three days would be enough.

After they had called the meeting for the day, Hux and the other attorneys made plans to get a steak dinner at a country club nearby. Ben was very clearly not invited, and although it was probably a snub, Ben couldn’t bring himself to care. He was tired, and the prospect of sitting through an interminable dinner with a bunch of shark-toothed lawyers did not appeal to him.

Ben was left to walk back with all his notes to the hotel as Hux took off. Ben took his time, enjoying the crisp fall air after yesterday’s gloom and appreciating the chance to stretch his legs. He tried calling Rey, but she didn’t pick up. She was probably busy training, he reasoned.

He ordered room service and settled into the room, wanting to get these notes typed up as soon as he could, knowing there would be even more to come the next day. He must have been more tired than he thought, because he found himself dozing off after only about twenty minutes of work.

He was awoken by the sound of the hotel room door being shut and locked. He sat up groggily from his spot on the half-couch. His notes had slid to the floor and the laptop was balanced precariously between the table and couch. Hux walked in and glanced over briefly before disappearing into the bathroom.

Ben rubbed his eyes and did his best to wake up, gathering everything up and organizing it on the table again. He glanced at the time and groaned. It was later than he thought, and he still had a lot of work to do. He might have to retire down in the lobby if Hux wanted to go to sleep.

While Ben was occupied, Hux reappeared in the doorway of the bathroom. He’d unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, and he was loosening his shirt cuffs.

“Do you remember what we were discussing this morning?” Hux said in a conversational tone.

For a moment, Ben had no idea what he was talking about. He groaned and ran his hands over his face. “Hux, please, can we not do this right now? I’m really tired and I have a lot of work left.” He pleaded.

Hux stepped into the room and calmly walked over to his open suitcase, rummaging around inside for something. “On the contrary. I think it’s best we deal with this now. I’d like to nip your behavior in the bud. I realize that I may have left things too vague for too long. I think you would do better if you knew what the boundaries were, so to speak.”

Ben closed the laptop and frowned. “What do you mean?”

Hux turned around and whatever conversation they’d been having went out the window as the balance of power in the room unbalanced suddenly. He was holding a pair of handcuffs.

Ben leapt to his feet. His heart had gone from a resting state to a full gallop in a second. He felt just like he had in Hux’s office that first night. All in a second, the world tilted on its axis, and he found himself in an alternate universe.

Hux didn’t make a move toward him, just waited for Ben to absorb the situation.

“What are – what are _those_ for?” Ben stammered, at a complete loss for what innocent reason Hux could have for having those.

Hux’s eyes glinted with a predatory amusement. “Come on, Ben. You’re not _that_ stupid, are you?”

The condescending weight put on his name felt like a blow. Hux only used his first name when it would cause the most damage. Ben noticed with nervous dizziness that Hux was between him and the door. He could probably shove past him and get out in time, but doing something like that seemed to be crossing an invisible line. Doing something like that might encourage Hux to respond violently. So far they were just talking. Ben wanted to keep it that way.

The next thing was hard to say, but Ben felt like it was necessary. “Are you going to hurt me?” His voice came out quieter than he intended.

“Not if you don’t make me.” Hux mused. “These are just to make sure you cooperate. Are you going to cooperate?”

Ben swallowed. His throat had gone dry. What the fuck was he supposed to say to something like that?

When Hux stepped forward, a big part of Ben was telling him to run, to bolt out of the room and never look back. However, a smaller part of him, the same part that had complied when Hux ordered him to get himself off, noticed how darkly handsome Hux looked with his dark eyes trained on Ben and his shirt just loosened. Caught between the two instincts, Ben was just left staring like a deer in headlights.

When Hux drew level with Ben, Ben took a tiny half-step backward, but Hux grabbed the back of his neck in a tight grip and made him stay. Ben gasped and his eyes widened.

“You seem a little undecided. I’ll help you with that.” Hux growled, pulling down the neck of Ben’s shirt just enough to expose his collarbone. He dipped his head down and licked a stripe from his collarbone up to his throat, biting down on the meat between his neck and shoulder hard enough to hurt.

Ben let out a helpless little whimper and his knees weakened. His thinking brain had left the building.

“Oh my god,” he breathed as Hux herded him to the bed, with one quick motion pulling Ben’s shirt over his head and then off. Before he had the time to process _that_ development, Hux pushed Ben in the chest, and he fell backward, bouncing on the bed.

Ben felt hot blood rushing through what felt like all his extremities. He felt a little lust-drunk, and all it had taken to reduce him to this state was Hux taking charge and telling him how it was going to be.

All Ben’s dumb, overheated brain was thinking as Hux climbed onto the bed and boxed him in with his thighs was about how electric Hux’s attention was when it was trained on him. Hux had been yanking him from hot to cold for weeks now, and going from being practically ignored to _this_ was… almost too much to handle.

Ben’s better sense returned briefly when Hux grabbed his wrists and snapped one of the cuffs closed. Before Ben could get himself together enough to struggle, Hux threaded the chain through the bedpost and then cuffed his other wrist. Ben was left with his wrists raised and slightly behind him. An electric stab of fear ran through him and he bucked against Hux’s weight and yelped, sudden panic telling him to scream. That was the sensible thing to do when somebody tied you to a bed without asking first.

Lightning fast, Hux grabbed his face and clamped his mouth shut. Ben tossed his head and struggled, but Hux pushed his head firmly against the bedpost behind him and didn’t let him move.

“Do I have to gag you?” Hux warned lowly, eyes piercing through him.

Ben breathed rapidly through his nose, eyes wide and panicky. They flicked to the door. They were in a hotel. There were other people here, maybe even next door. If he screamed, he could get somebody to burst in and this would be over. The lust-driven traitor part of him wondered if he even wanted to do that.

Ben kicked one leg uselessly. Hux’s weight on his waist held him down. He tried to shake Hux’s hand loose, making a muffled shout. Hux had no problem holding him in place.

“Let me put it this way.” Hux said, the easiness in his demeanor making it obvious that he was enjoying himself. “Suppose I’m wrong about you. If you blink twice, I’ll uncuff you, you can sleep on the couch, and we can pretend none of this ever happened. But you’re not going to do that. I know you. You’re going to stay quiet and do what I tell you to do. Isn’t that right?”

Ben didn’t blink.

A toothy grin grew across Hux’s face. “Good boy,” he said with just a trace of condescension.

When Hux let go of his mouth, Ben didn’t scream. He didn’t plead or argue. He just stayed frozen where he was. He had tunnel vision, the world narrowing down to a single point that contained Hux and only Hux. He stared at Hux with just a little fear, his eyes dilated.

Hux set to work unbuckling Ben’s pants and pulling them off. “See, I knew what you would do. All you want is for me to take charge. You don’t want to be given a choice. You want me to make your choices for you.”

“ _No…_ ” Ben protested faintly, the word just a breathy sound.

Hux stripped off Ben’s pants, leaving him in his underwear. “No?” He said with a devilish grin. He snaked a hand past the waistband of Ben’s black briefs and wrapped his fingers around the base of his cock, which definitely wasn’t soft. “This seems to say otherwise.”

Ben gasped in shock at the sudden contact, his head knocking back against the headboard so hard it hurt. He bit back a yelp when Hux tightened his grip and gave his cock a firm pump from base to tip. It twitched in response and filled with blood.

“See, I know boys like you, Ben. Naïve dreamers who come here from the heartland expecting the city to be like the fairy tales they tell people like you so that they’ll kill themselves to climb the ladder. That if you work hard enough, you’ll make your mom and dad back home proud. Because it doesn’t take much to impress them, so you think it’ll be the same here.”

Hux was punctuating this speech with little kisses followed by a sharp bite that left a mark. Bit by bit, he was moving down Ben’s body, hitting sensitive places along the way. His sides. His nipples. His taut stomach. Ben was squirming in place on the bed and gasping, trying his best to keep it down. “Only you don’t know what the real world is like. So let me enlighten you. There are givers and takers in this world. It’s the takers’ job to know best, to do best, and it’s the givers’ job to fall into line and do what they’re told. You’re a giver. I’m a taker.”

By now, Hux was at Ben’s waist and Ben’s brain was short-circuiting a little bit. Hux dug his fingers into Ben’s knees, spreading his legs and exposing him. Ben moaned in embarrassment and closed his eyes, trying to do the same with his legs, only Hux wouldn’t let him.

Hux lowered his head and began to hover just above the sensitive skin of his inner thighs, moving slowly from his knees up towards his waist. His breath just barely brushed his skin, and that only made this more unbearable.

Ben clenched his eyes shut, his breath coming fast. His cuffed hands clenched into fists uselessly. There was only one place Hux could be going, and although he felt like he should be protesting, all he could do was lie here and pant, allow Hux to do whatever it was he wanted. He would be lying if he’d said he hadn’t thought about this before.

Hux paused inches away from the object of all of Ben’s attention at the moment. “Although… I don’t know if you deserve this yet. It seems to me that you should do something for me first.”

Ben opened his eyes in surprise. “What…” was all he had time for.

Looking down at him like he was considering a meal he’d like to eat, Hux smoothly pulled his shirt off and laid it neatly at the foot of the bed. He followed suit with his pants and underwear until he was naked in front of Ben for the first time. Ben couldn’t help staring. Hux was long and lean, corded with muscle in his arms that wasn’t visible when he was fully clothed. He had a smattering of freckles that cascaded down his chest and torso in a fascinating pattern. Ben couldn’t look away.

Hux crawled back up Ben’s body and got up into a kneeling position right in front of him. From Ben’s handcuffed position, Hux towered in front of him. His waist was perfectly positioned in front of Ben’s face. Hux was already hard, his cock bobbing slightly. Sad as it was, this was one of the few signs Ben had seen that he was actually human. He wasn’t just a cold machine. So he felt lust just like everyone else.

Before Ben could do much of anything but boggle, Hux looked down at him with an eyebrow raised. “Well? Make yourself useful.”

Ears burning from humiliation, Ben took a deep breath and tentatively opened his mouth. His stomach was roiling with nerves and his fingers were clenched tight into fists. He wasn’t exactly unexperienced, but he couldn’t say he’d ever sucked someone’s cock while handcuffed to a bed before. The dark thrill curled in his stomach like a living thing. He didn’t quite know how to go about this, and wasn’t quite sure he wanted to, either. This was all getting a little much.

“Hux, I don’t know if-” Ben began.

Hux huffed in annoyance and grabbed the back of his hair, pushing his head forward so he had no choice but to open his mouth and allow Hux’s cock in. Ben let out a muffled grunt and struggled against the handcuffs to no avail.

Once his cock filled Ben’s mouth, heavy against his tongue and brushing the roof of his mouth, Hux stopped and just held him there, hand fisted tightly in his hair. Ben choked and wriggled around, tears springing to his eyes. His heels kicked at the bedsheets.

Hux didn’t loosen his grip. “Relax your throat,” he ordered. “Breathe through your nose.”

For a few critical seconds, Ben was too shocked to listen, but eventually, the words sank in, and he followed instructions. He did what he was told, and suddenly he could breathe again.

The heavy weight of Hux’s cock on his tongue made him compulsively swallow, his tongue brushing against the shaft. Hux’s cock twitched in response and he tightened his grip. The heady smell of Hux surrounded Ben, making it hard to think.

Hux didn’t wait long after Ben got himself under control to start moving again. He didn’t wait for Ben to do anything, just kept a tight hold on his hair and began fucking Ben’s mouth. Every time he hit the back of Ben’s throat, Ben gagged and struggled a little, but Hux didn’t allow him any quarter.

Ben’s hands twisted above his head. He felt overwhelmed, like he was drowning, and he found grabbing tight to the handcuff chain somehow helped to ground him. Hux did most of the work, and it wasn’t too long before his breathing came shorter, and Ben knew he was close. He couldn’t see Hux’s face at all from his position, so he had to just imagine what he looked like in an unguarded moment. He wished he knew how Hux looked when nobody was looking.

The warning that he was about to come arrived with a tightening of his grip in Ben’s hair, so tight it hurt. With a quick one-two thrust, Hux came in Ben’s mouth, his cock twitching in release. He didn’t make much of a sound. Ben choked at the sudden taste, and did his best to swallow around it, because Hux didn’t let him go until he was good and done.

Ben was relieved when Hux let go of his hair, drawing back and sitting back on his heels. He looked contented, a lazy smile on his face. Ben gasped for breath, face red and hair in disarray, the bitter taste of Hux’s come still coating his tongue.

He felt a little dizzy from lack of breath, so didn’t really realize that he was still hard until Hux’s attention turned to Ben’s hard cock, as yet untouched. It hadn’t flagged at all through his rough treatment. If anything, it had only served to turn him on even more.

“I suppose you’ll be wanting me to do something about this, hmm?” Hux asked in a contemplative tone.

Ben couldn’t even muster up words in response. He just hung from the cuffs and panted, almost feeling like he was running a fever.

Hux wasn’t satisfied by his lack of response, because he flicked the tip of Ben’s cock with a finger. Ben couldn’t help a breathy yelp. He was so sensitive that that really hurt. “Well?”

“ _Yes_ ,” he panted, pain throbbing through him. Every inch of his body seemed to be going through a different sensation, and he was having trouble getting it all straight in his head.

“Yes, what?”

Ben felt like he was running a marathon. “ _Yes, sir, yes, please. Yes, I…_ ”

Hux ran a slow hand down his right side, taking the time to pinch the sensitive skin over his hip. Ben bit his lip and writhed.

“Hmm, I’m not sure you’ve earned it.” Hux said. His hair was still somehow, perfectly coiffed.

“ _What?”_ Ben growled, voice a little hoarse. “Are you kidding me, after all that?”

With a quick, practiced motion, Hux slapped Ben’s cock. Not that hard, but he was so sensitive that it still sent a bolt of agony through him. Ben’s head knocked back against the headboard behind him and his mouth opened, a choked croak coming out.

“With that kind of attitude, I’m tempted to just leave you there all night.” Hux said, a pleased post-coital smirk crossing his face.

Ben tried to kick his brain into gear. He had to figure out the right thing to say here, or he was going to be miserable and wanting, arms aching, untouched. “No, no, Hux, sir, I’m sorry. Please.”

Hux raised an eyebrow. “That’s a little better, but not quite what I’m looking for.”

Ben wriggled a little in place, the handcuff chain rattling against the bedpost. He tried to lean toward Hux, but Hux was maddeningly out of reach. His shoulders and wrists ached from the strain. “H-Hux, sir. I… I’ll do whatever you want.”

“I know. You just did.” Hux grinned.

Ben groaned, tears of frustration gathering in his eyes. “ _Please._ I don’t… I don’t have anything to b-bargain with, I just… Don’t leave me like this. _Please_?”

Hux pretended to think about it, running a proprietary hand down Ben’s trembling stomach. “Well, I’ll tell you what. I have to get to bed pretty soon, but I was going to take a shower first. If you can get yourself off while I do that, we’ll call it even. If you can’t, though, I’m afraid you’ll be fresh out of luck, and I’ll just have to leave you handcuffed for the night. Just so you don’t… hurt yourself.”

Ben stared at him incredulously, still breathing heavily. “That’s… that’s not fair!”

“No. It’s not.” Hux smiled deeply. “But it’s the deal I’m giving you. So what will it be?”

And of course, Ben didn’t have a choice. He growled in frustration. “Fine!”

Hux snagged the handcuff key off the bedside table and laughed. “You know, you’re cute when you’re petulant. Has anyone ever told you that?”

Not waiting for an answer, he unlocked one of Ben’s wrists and unthreaded the chain from the bedpost, only giving him a second to adjust before he grabbed Ben’s shoulder and flipped him flat on his stomach, cuffing his hands behind his back. Ben let out a surprised yelp and shuddered when his weight landed on his hard cock.

Hux leaned in close and whispered in his ear. “And I would suggest keeping your voice down. Unless you want our neighbors to hear you moaning in here like a whore.”

Ben was pretty sure he flushed from his hair right down to his toes, but that was all Hux gave him before getting up and going into the bathroom and shutting the door. After a moment, the quiet sound of the shower turned on.

Ben gritted his teeth and got his knees under him. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do here. He briefly tried to pull his wrists out of the cuffs, but they’d been cinched tight, so he was stuck in them. He found that it was remarkably difficult to maneuver his body around with his hands cuffed behind his back. He used his knees and forehead to inch up so he was fully on the bed. He tried reaching around in front of him to get himself off, but his hands wouldn’t reach, no matter how he twisted his shoulders or stretched his fingers.

Ben gave up, flopping flat on the bed, sweaty, frustrated, and so turned on it was hard to think of anything else. His mouth was full of the taste of Hux, and he felt so betrayed that Hux had just left him like this that if he were braver, he might have marched into the bathroom anyway and given him a piece of his mind. He didn’t, because he knew Hux was just liable to say to hell with their agreement, Ben could stay handcuffed like this all night.

At the thought of the easy way Hux had handled him, how he’d degraded him and got him to do exactly what he wanted, how easily he’d manhandled him even though Ben was taller, a tight heat grew in the base of his stomach, and his untouched, aching cock gave a protesting twitch.

Ben pressed his face into the sheets and growled in frustration. Out of options, he began to just rut against the sheets, seeking whatever scant friction he could get this way, hoping it would be enough to get himself off.

“ _Stupid, conceited, piece-of-shit asshole bastard son of a bitch!_ ” Ben grunted, every half-hearted thrust of his hips punctuated by another invective thrown Hux’s way. Something started to happen, and Ben got hopeful. He was so pissed off, he tried imagining fair play, grabbing Hux’s face and getting him to suck his cock in turn. To his immense annoyance, this didn’t help. If anything, his building orgasm flagged a little bit. He’d done better when he dwelled on Hux degrading him.

If he was more clear-headed, he might have spent some time analyzing that impulse of his, but it didn’t feel important right now. In this moment, he was just trying to fucking come. Hux was probably a short-shower kind of guy, which meant he didn’t have a lot of time left.

Realizing that his time was running out, Ben decided to change his angle. He let his legs drop off the edge of the bed so his feet were planted on the floor. This gave him a much better angle with which to rut into the sheets. He began to get some friction, and he could feel the growing heat that let him know he was getting close. He was already so bent out of shape after Hux’s treatment of him that it wouldn’t take much.

His face was pointed at Hux’s discarded clothes, and with a sudden petty instinct, he slipped one of Hux’s shirt sleeves into his mouth, feeling the smooth material brush against his tongue. The faint scent of whatever cologne Hux used overwhelmed him. All of a sudden, Ben began moving faster, his eyes pointed up to the ceiling. Thinking of how Hux had forced him to gag himself with his own tie in his office, similar to this now, was all the push he needed, and with a muffled shout, he came.

Ben was lying half-on and half-off off the bed, hands flexing in their restraints, panting with leftover endorphins, when Hux came back into the room. He was wearing his sleep clothes and toweling off his hair, and he smiled when he saw the state Ben was in. “Good boy.” He said lazily. Ben shuddered, thinking he should hate it more when Hux talked to him like that.

He walked over and pulled the shirt out of Ben’s mouth, holding it up with two fingers like it was something dirty. The edge of the shirt sleeve was damp and imprinted with Ben’s teeth. “Although I would have preferred you didn’t ruin one of my shirts.”

Ben’s eyes were half-lidded, and all he wanted to do was fall asleep now. “Sorry, sir,” he mumbled vaguely.

He was relieved when Hux uncuffed him. His arms flopped to his sides, and he realized how his shoulders ached after their treatment. He pushed himself up straight, ending up kneeling next to the bed, trying to reassemble his brain after what he’d just done. His whole body felt shaky and slow.

Hux grimaced and tore the top sheet off the bed. “You made such a mess, Organa. At least I had the decency to remain neat.” Ben grimaced at the reminder of the taste in his mouth, but didn’t have the energy to point out that Hux was the one who ordered him to do it in the first place.

Hux thrust the soiled sheet and shirt into Ben’s arms. “Get these cleaned up. And I’d like those notes first thing in the morning.”

Ben felt dismayed. It was almost midnight already, and he was already so tired. However, in the cold light of post-orgasm, some of the shame he’d abandoned at the door came slinking back. He didn’t _think_ he’d been too loud, but what if someone had heard him? Like Hux said, degrading himself for Hux’s pleasure. He felt a heavy weight in his stomach. All of a sudden, when he wasn’t distracted by his stupid sex drive, what they’d just done didn’t seem quite so thrilling, and became more humiliating. Either way, he wasn’t going to argue with Hux now.

He took the bundle of laundry and staggered to his feet. “Yes, sir.” He said, finding it hard to meet Hux’s eyes all of a sudden. Quickly, he got dressed in the most casual clothes he’d brought, pulling his shoes on haphazardly, and slung his laptop and written notes with his bag over his shoulder. Thus encumbered, he walked to the door.

Hux was settling into bed, looking quite pleased with himself. “Oh, and Organa? Next time you feel the need to chafe at an order I give you, just remember who it is who’s in charge here.”

Ben looked at him silently and then fled the room.

He stopped in the public bathroom off the lobby and soaked the shirt sleeve in water from the sink in an attempt to hide the fact that it had been drooled all over and then took it to the concierge. They had a dry-cleaning service in-house, and he told the man behind the desk to charge it to Hux.

There was no fucking way he was doing the same with the stained sheet he still had tucked under his arm, but he’d noticed a 24-hour laundromat down the street, so he took it there. The place was abandoned except for the one washed-out girl behind the desk reading a paperback and falling asleep.

Ben threw a few quarters into the machine and then set the lone sheet tumbling through the wash. He sat on one of the lonely chairs in the corner near the muted TV, and tried his best to concentrate on the work he had to get done. He was tired from the day and from what he’d just done with Hux, but he had to get this done.

He managed to finish the notes by the time the wash cycle was over, but he still needed to wait for it to dry, so after he set the dryer going, he curled up in the chair and tried not to fall asleep. With nothing to do, his mind circled over what had just happened.

At the time, his stupid, broken brain that seemed to just tell him to roll over and do whatever Hux told him to do was in charge of him, but now afterwards, Ben realized the full extent of what had happened. The weird, amorphous tension between him and Hux could no longer be ignored. Everything else that had happened could be maybe brushed aside, but now after tonight, it was unavoidable. Ben was having sex with his boss. His boss who was blackmailing him. His boss who most of the time was nothing but cold and condescending. His boss who didn’t really seem to care about what Ben wanted at any given moment.

Ben stared at the far wall. His stomach felt knotted up in worry and shame, but it wasn’t like… Hux had forced him into it. Sure, he hadn’t exactly… _asked_ before handcuffing Ben to the bed, but Ben had been into it. His base instincts had been into it, at the very least. He’d gone along with it, he’d had an orgasm, so that had to mean… that it was fine? It should be fine, although that didn’t explain how humiliated Ben felt about the whole thing after the fact.

Ben hadn’t reached a consensus for his mixed feelings by the time the laundry was done. He just folded up the sheet and trudged back to the hotel. It was late and cold, and he was tired of thinking about this. He just wanted to go to sleep.

To his relief, Hux was asleep when he made it back into the hotel room. As quietly as he could, he slipped into bed beside Hux without waking him, and it only took him a few minutes before he fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *rubs hands together* Alright, now we're getting into it. I also think you'll all be happy to know I woke up in the middle of the night last night with a horrible idea for this story down the road a bit, and I'm like.. 'Yeah, that's super fucked up. I have to write this down before I fall asleep again.'


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus chapter! Surprise! I have been doing pretty good at keeping up with my writing goal, so I'm reasonably confident that I can post a little more often and still keep on track. I think I'm still going to mostly stick with every 2 weeks, but I might occasionally post on the off-week. At least until I get closer to finishing this.

The next day was pretty much the same as the last one. Hux didn’t mention a thing about last night, which on the one hand was a relief, but on the other was a little hurtful. Either way, Ben didn’t have much time to think about it. There was more negotiating to sit through, more obscure statutes to pull out, more rich people unsatisfied with how rich they were.

Hux again went to dinner with the family, and Ben stayed behind in the room to type up the notes. He managed to finish this time by the time Hux came back.

When Hux came back into the room that night, Ben was in the bathroom. He had waited until he heard Hux at the door and then quickly slipped into the bathroom and turned on the shower. In the cold light of day, the more he thought about last night, the more he wanted to get through the rest of this trip without being alone with Hux.

Whenever Ben had ample opportunity to think, he could recognize the troubling way things were going with Hux. It wasn’t like he really relished being ordered around and having his protests ignored, but for some reason, every time he was in a room with Hux, his better sense went out the window, and he couldn’t help doing whatever Hux said.

Ben was planning on taking a long shower until he thought Hux might be asleep, then slipping out of the room for an hour until he could be sure it was safe to come to bed.

Ben realized things weren’t going to go according to plan when he heard the bathroom door open. He froze in place underneath the warm spray of water, watching through the shower curtain as Hux’s shadow moved into the room. He didn’t really know why he stayed quiet. It wasn’t like Hux didn’t know he was there.

Hux seemed to be thinking the same thing. “Waiting for something?”

Really wishing he hadn’t _actually_ gotten into the shower for this ruse, Ben pulled aside the curtain just enough for him to look out. Hux leaned against the far wall, arms crossed, eyes alight with amusement.

“You took a shower this morning. Two in a day seems a little excessive to me,” Hux said.

Ben tried to think of a good excuse for a moment, and then decided he wouldn’t even bother. “What do you want?” He asked a little sullenly, knowing he probably looked like an idiot in the position he was in.

“Are you avoiding me?” Hux asked simply. No beating around the bush or toying with him. Right to the point.

_Yes_. “No,” Ben answered, wondering if he would be able to grab a towel without Hux stopping him and decided his chances were low.

Hux raised an eyebrow. “Turn off the shower. You’re wasting water.”

Ben set his jaw, thought of refusing, thought of telling him to get out. All of that felt a little childish, a little bit of an overreaction. He didn’t like how Hux seemed to constantly be reducing him to this state of dependence, of feeling like reacting normally would be somehow immature. Hux was always so in control of everything that Ben didn’t want to do anything that would prove his own incompetence. Hux already thought badly enough of him.

Ben did, pulling aside the shower curtain. He guessed it really didn’t matter anymore if Hux saw him naked. He crossed his arms and stood there, hair dripping, a little cold, while Hux perused him at his leisure.

Hux let the silence sit. His eyes raked over Ben’s body. Ben hoped it was appreciably, but he really couldn’t say for sure. It occurred to him that it was becoming almost normal for Hux to look at him like this, but he still had only seen Hux unclothed briefly.

When Hux stepped forward, Ben braced himself for some new kind of unasked-for (he honestly couldn’t say if it was unwanted) touch, but Hux just handed him a towel.

“Come to bed. It’s late,” he ordered, before leaving the room.

When Ben emerged into the bedroom a few minutes later, the room was dark. He slipped into the bed, stiff, ready for a repeat of last night. He closed his eyes when he heard Hux roll over. A cold hand slid down his back, from the nape of his neck down to his waist. It was slow enough that Ben felt a little shiver as Hux’s thumb brushed down every knob of his spine along the way. He sucked in a breath as Hux’s hand made it to the small of his back, but he just rested it there for a moment and then let him go.

Ben lay still and waited for Hux’s breathing to slow into sleep.

Ben watched the digital clock on the dresser tick from midnight until nearly twelve-thirty. When he was positive Hux really was asleep, he slipped out of bed, into his coat and shoes, and out into the hall, making sure to close the door quickly before the hall light woke Hux up.

Ben didn’t know exactly what he was doing, but he couldn’t sleep. He was planning on just sitting at one of the tables in the lobby, but the concierge kept giving him odd looks, so he slipped around to the back. There was an emergency door leading to the back alley, and he walked outside. He hoped some fresh air would do him good.

He walked to the end of the alley, where he had a nice view of the street, empty and quiet at this hour. He leaned against the wall, looked up at the brilliant night sky. Coming from out west, he’d missed being able to see the stars at night once he moved to the city.

After a few minutes, he heard some footsteps behind him. He turned around to see a man about his age walking up, busy lighting a cigarette. He was wearing the uniform of the hotel. He probably worked in the kitchen to be here so late.

The man looked surprised to see somebody else here in what was probably his usual break spot.

“Hey,” he greeted Ben, sounding a little confused.

“Hi, um, sorry if I’m in your, uh… your spot. I can go.” Ben said, already moving toward the front door of the hotel.

The man waved a hand. “Nah, it’s fine. I could use the company. It’s boring out here anyway. The name’s David.”

“Ben.” Ben shook his hand, and they stood companionably side-by-side. When David wordlessly offered him a cigarette, Ben accepted. He didn’t usually smoke, but it felt like the night for it.

After standing in silence for a few minutes, David turned to him. “So, Ben. What brings you to the saddest break spot in the world?”

Ben wasn’t going to answer truthfully, but he couldn’t hold this inside him anymore. And besides, he was never going to see this guy again. There would be no harm in it.

He took a drag on his cigarette, unused to the sensation of smoke in his lungs. “Avoiding my boss.”

David raised his eyebrows. “At one in the morning? What kind of shitty work schedule do you have?” He smirked wryly. “Realizing that I am working right now, but you get it.”

“It’s…” Ben sighed and paused for a long moment. He knew he shouldn’t say anything, but he couldn’t take it anymore. He had to talk to _someone_ about this, even if it was a perfect stranger. “I’m sleeping with him. Or, it would be more accurate to say he’s decided that we’re sleeping together.”

David whistled. “I’m the last person to judge, but I’m guessing from your tone of voice that you’re not too happy about it?”

“No, it’s not like that. It’s not like… It’s not like he’s forcing me to do it or anything…” Ignoring the fact that he was forcing him not to quit… “And I do… like him…” Ben trailed off. Like wasn’t the right word for it. Intimidated by. Attracted to despite himself. Willing to be humiliated by, or at least unwilling to argue. All of that would be more accurate.

David blew a smoke ring. “I’m sensing quite a bit of ‘but’ coming.”

The few drags of smoke he’d gotten were enough for him. Ben ground the cigarette under his heel. “I just wish he would ask what I wanted, a little more. It mostly just feels like… he’s telling me what to do, and I don’t get a say in it.”

“He sounds like an asshole.” David said.

“You’re not the first person to tell me that…” Ben said, thinking of Rey. Thinking of the woman who’d driven him to the museum.

“Look, I don’t mean to tell you your business or anything, but it sounds to me like he’s not worth it.” David said.

Ben glanced over at him. The instinct to defend Hux came out of nowhere. “You don’t get it. He’s… people like him don’t like people like me. He… he scares me a little, but he also makes me feel like, I don’t know, I deserve his attention. Nobody has ever made me feel like that before.”

David didn’t look entirely convinced. A taxi pulled up out front, and two of the other attorneys from the will reading got out. One of them glanced over and saw Ben and David standing together before walking into the hotel. All of a sudden, Ben was more tired than when he came out here. He didn’t really know what this conversation was supposed to accomplish. He didn’t feel any better after having unloaded. Just vaguely embarrassed that he’d said anything at all. “Look, thanks for letting me vent. I didn’t mean to bother you. I should get to bed. Early day tomorrow.”

Ben took his leave and snuck back up to the hotel room, just as conflicted as before.

The next day’s business only took until noon, for which Ben was incredibly grateful. The whole thing wrapped up, and there was an obligatory hour where everyone stood around wrapping up leftover arguments and networking. Ben did not contribute. He just stayed to himself, packing up his and Hux’s things, hoping they would make it back home early enough for him to catch a movie or something. He was dying for some alone time. Three days with Hux’s suffocating presence was more than enough.

Hux was all business as they went back to the hotel and packed everything up. Ben was finishing up when Hux disappeared downstairs for twenty minutes. By the time he got back, Ben was ready to go, both his and Hux’s bags piled neatly by the door.

As they walked down to the lobby, Hux spoke almost casually, not giving Ben a chance to prepare himself for something coming. “Organa, why is it you smelled like cigarette smoke this morning? I didn’t think you smoked, and you certainly didn’t smell like that last night.”

Ben startled, but didn’t see a reason to lie. “I bummed a smoke from a guy last night. Why, is that a problem?”

Hux stopped walking so suddenly Ben almost ran into him. Hux turned and stared at him with that icy stare of his. “Yes, actually. Smoking is disgusting. I thought you would know better than that.”

Chastised, Ben felt the need to defend himself. “I don’t smoke a lot. Just every once in a while.”

“You won’t do it again.” Hux said calmly.

Ben frowned. Was Hux really giving him an ultimatum like this? “That’s not really your call,” he protested.

Hux didn’t even have to say anything. He gave Ben a clear look that said _It is now, and we both know it_.

After a moment, Ben looked away and clenched his jaw. He wasn’t even attached to smoking or anything. It wasn’t like this was a big deal. It wasn’t worth picking a fight over. “Fine.”

Hux continued walking, and Ben followed. They were nearly out of the lobby when the muffled sound of an argument caught Ben’s attention. It was so loud some of the other hotel guests were staring too. From his angle, he could just see into the office behind the concierge desk. David, the guy from last night, and what looked like the hotel manager were having a heated argument. It looked like it was on the verge of getting ugly.

Ben had to hurry to catch up with Hux. They were halfway across the parking lot. “What was _that_ all about?” He mused out loud, just to have something to say.

“I imagine that young man isn’t too happy about being fired.” Hux said like the answer was obvious.

“How would you know?” Ben asked.

“Because I got him fired.” Hux said.

Ben stopped walking. “ _What?_ ”

Hux turned around to meet him. “I was reliably informed about what you were doing last night. I imagine you told him about our arrangement?”

Ben was too shocked to deny it. “What does that have to do with anything? How can you do that? That’s his _job_!”

Hux’s upper lip curled in contempt. “Before you get too bent out of shape, I did it for your benefit. I was protecting you.”

Ben had absolutely no idea what to say to that, so he didn’t say anything.

“You broke your promise to me. You promised you wouldn’t tell anyone about our private business.” Hux said calmly.

“I didn’t-”

Hux held up a hand to cut him off. “That wasn’t an arbitrary promise I had you make. Who do you imagine would be more hurt if people found out what we’ve been doing? Me or you?”

Ben stared at him with wide eyes. “Me,” he admitted begrudgingly.

Hux nodded. “That’s right,” he said, a condescending curl to his voice like Ben had just given the right answer in a pop quiz. “I was looking after you, even when you were too foolish to know better. There’s no way of telling who that boy would have told. Clients of mine use this hotel quite a bit, and gossip like this has a nasty habit of spreading.”

Ben bit his lip. This made a certain amount of sense. It probably _was_ stupid of him to go telling people about him and Hux. He was playing a dangerous game here. His reputation, his career could be ruined before it even began if anyone found out he was sleeping with Hux. They would assume he was doing it to get ahead. They would assume all sorts of things about him.

“You didn’t have to get him _fired_ , though…” Ben said quietly, guilt swirling around inside him. Was this his fault? If he had just kept his mouth shut, David would still have a job now. And all because he wanted to unload some of the poison that had been swirling around in his head for the past few weeks.

Hux took one step closer, laid a hand on his cheek. He didn’t know if it was the day, or just Hux, but his fingers were freezing. “I believe in the simplest solution to any problem. You created a problem. I fixed it.”

Ben felt awful. “I’m sorry,” he muttered, all the fight from a few moments ago gone. He realized he hadn’t only been gambling with his own future, but Hux’s reputation if anyone found out.

Hux ran his thumb along the line of his cheekbone. “It’s alright. I just hope you’ll know better next time.” The subtext to this comment pounded into Ben’s head: _Next time you think about telling someone what we’re doing, don’t_.

And Ben tried so hard not to feel comforted by this, not to feel like Hux had saved him from a problem that he himself had created, but as was becoming all too obvious, he was too far gone.

* * *

When they made it back to the city, Hux dropped Ben off at his apartment. As was becoming more common now, Ben agonized over how exactly he should say goodbye to Hux. Their relationship was murky, not very defined, and he didn’t want to accidentally overstep. Shaking hands was certainly not appropriate, neither was a kiss on the cheek. When the time came, he settled for a thin smile before he got out of the car and walked into his building. He didn’t want to admit to himself that once he was out of Hux’s presence, he felt a definite sigh of relief.

After his endless trip with Hux, he sort of felt like it should be late, but by the time Ben got unpacked and ran down to the corner store for some groceries, it was still early evening. He decided he would go down to see Rey. He thought about calling first to see if she was free, but he had never done that before. It was only recently that he felt the urge to take that extra step of calling. He wasn’t sure exactly when this wedge between them appeared, but he would do anything to get rid of it.

He took the short subway trip to Rey’s neighborhood, walked up to her apartment and knocked on the door. She answered in her pajamas, clearly in the middle of a conversation with somebody still in the living room. She smiled when she saw Ben, but there was a certain measure of coolness that had never been there before. It felt awful.

“Hey! I’m surprised to see you,” Rey said, and Ben tried not to take that as a barb even though he was sure it wasn’t meant that way.

Ben shuffled his feet. “Yeah, I was away for a couple days. Work thing.”

A shadow of their past arguments on the subject crossed Rey’s face and then disappeared. “Oh! I didn’t know.”

There was a short, awkward pause. Only a few weeks ago, Rey would have been the first person he told about something like this. He would have spent the entire three days texting her, bitching about this and that. He knew they were both busy with their own lives now, but this still felt pretty awful.

“Yeah, I, uh, haven’t been able to get in touch with you. I tried calling, but you didn’t answer.” Ben said.

And finally, the ice between them melted a little bit. Rey’s face brightened. “Oh yeah! You don’t know! I haven’t gotten a chance to tell you! Come in! We’re watching some true crime thing, and Poe is convinced that it’s only a matter of time before he gets murdered.”

Poe shouted from the couch. “This is why I don’t own a car! People are always getting killed when they’re walking to their car. Or from their car. There’s always some creep in the parking lot with an ice pick and chloroform. I’m telling you! It’s a hazard. Look at my beautiful face. There are hot singles in the tri-state area that want to murder me!”

Ben laughed and followed Rey into the living room.

“If they were a _hot_ single, you’d let them murder you.” Rey threw a piece of popcorn at Poe, and he caught it in his mouth.

They spent the next fifteen minutes razzing Poe for his skittishness before Rey started telling Ben about how her team had been training non-stop because there was some talent scout coming into town, and they had a meet to show off to them. If they did well, it was a chance to join a national touring team. It could potentially be big news. Ben congratulated Rey, genuinely excited for her.

After the short icy exchange at the door, they warmed up again, and it felt almost like it used to. Ben tried to convince himself he was imagining the distance between he and Rey that still seemed to persist.

After the evening was over and he was on his way home, another troubling thought occurred to Ben. He had been more relaxed and had more fun tonight with his friends than he had the entire three days he’d been with Hux. Whenever he spent time with Hux, he felt like he constantly had to watch his step in case he did something wrong. He knew that probably wasn’t a good sign, but he didn’t feel prepared to analyze it. He told himself it was just because this thing with Hux was new. Once they got to know each other better, surely things would be better.

Work the next few days was about the same as it had been. As was the pattern that Ben was quickly coming to recognize, Hux acted as distant and cold as ever when they were in the office. If Ben didn’t know any better, he could almost say he imagined their private interludes. Ben just did his work to the best of his ability and hoped Hux approved. It was also becoming clear that Hux’s approval was hard to come by, and he might not even let it show when it did arrive.

Ben was on his way home one night thinking about the microwaveable burritos he had waiting for him and which show he was going to watch when he got a text from Hux. This was a new occurrence. Hux’s preferred mode of communication was either in person or a phone call. Ben didn’t think Hux had ever texted him before.

The text was short and to the point: _268 Crownrose Ave. 8 pm._

Ben stared at the text for a moment. Was this a work thing? Was this address a bar or something? Did he need to change his clothes? After mulling it over for a while, he texted back: _Work or personal?_ After a few minutes of silence, he sent another text: _Do I need to bring anything?_

There was no answer. Ben sighed in exasperation and thought about sending a petulant reply back, something to the effect of _Ask nicely, and I’ll come_. Immediately, he shuddered. Hux would probably acquaint him with the unique sensation of having his fingernails pulled out.

Ben had just enough time when he got home to scarf down a burrito and then sweat over what he should wear. He still had no idea if this was a work thing or not, so he thought he should probably play it safe. He pulled on a black sweater and a pair of work pants, but thought he could get away with a pair of boots instead of his work shoes.

Ben got out the door a little earlier than he had to. He’d taken a look at the directions before he left, and this was in a part of town he’d never been to before. He didn’t want to get lost. He took the subway, having to transfer three times. After he got off, he had a twenty-minute walk ahead of him.

He found himself in a residential area of the city, a nice one, the kind with sidewalks cleared of litter and graffiti and perfectly-placed streetlamps every few feet. It was Friday night, and anywhere else in the city Ben would see groups of drunk friends stumbling along to the next bar, hear snatches of laughter and singing from underground music venues, and smell the hygienically-dubious, but no doubt delicious aroma of street food every couple blocks. This street was quiet and deserted. He passed one or two people walking their dogs, but that was about it. Every once in a while a car would pass him by on the street. He supposed some people liked this kind of thing, but he found it a little lifeless and depressing. He liked the chaos and messy life of the city, that’s why he’d moved here.

Before long, he found Crownrose Avenue, and walked down the street checking the numbers until he found the right place. The address Hux had sent him to was a stately brownstone set off from the street by a small, square front yard and an iron gate. There were lights on inside, so somebody was home. There were three floors, and Ben goggled at it. Usually, this was the kind of building that would have long-ago been split up for three different families to live in, bisected for affordability’s sake. He guessed he didn’t know for sure, but from here it looked like this belonged to one person. Hux must live here.

He was pretty much right on time, so he walked up to the door and knocked. He could hear the sound echo in the house like a huge cavern.

After a wait long enough for him to wonder if he should knock again, the door opened. Hux stood there holding a tumbler of whiskey in one hand, wearing what for him was very casual, fitted pants and an eggshell-white button-down shirt. His sleeves had been rolled up to his elbows, and Ben was caught off guard by the unexpected glimpse of skin. Hux’s arms were corded and lightly freckled. He immediately felt like an idiot, distracted like he was a fainting lady in a Jane Austen book or something.

Hux was languid and relaxed, and a slow smile spread across his face. It seemed to hide something behind it. “Good evening, Ben.”

_Ben_. He tried to pretend like that didn’t make his knees a little weak, but he’d be lying. “Hi,” he replied, all annoyance from earlier forgotten under the shadow of this house.

Hux beckoned that he come in, and once Ben was inside, he came up behind him, taking Ben’s coat off of his shoulders with an easy motion. A little shiver went up Ben’s spine.

Hux hung the coat up in the hall closet before walking farther into the house. “Leave your phone in your coat. I don’t want distractions.”

All the implications of _that_ tried to bowl him over like a ton of bricks, and Ben didn’t let it. He followed instructions, toeing his boots off before following Hux farther inside.

The inside of Hux’s house was handsomely-furnished, wood-paneled and richly colored. The art on the walls was significantly more lush than in his office. There were a few stark landscapes as well as quite a few hunting scenes. Ben was fascinated by one in particular where three dogs streaked after a fleeing fox through the underbrush. A line of men with hunting rifles followed behind, languid and sure of their catch.

The narrow hallway Hux led him through opened up into an open-plan kitchen. Warm lighting suffused the room from discreetly-placed lights in hidden recesses. A sliding-glass door looked out onto a manicured back yard. Around the corner, Ben could just see a huge television with surround-sound speakers facing a long leather couch. In the kitchen, every black marble countertop was filled with unnecessary kitchen gadgets that probably cost a fortune and looked like they had never been used. A gleaming chrome espresso machine sat alongside a high-end food processor and tiered knife rack. Every surface shone like it had been scrubbed within an inch of his life. Ben would be willing to bet Hux didn’t do that himself.

The cumulative effect of Hux’s luxurious house was enough to leave Ben feeling a little off-kilter. The casual display of wealth was so far outside of Ben’s usual lived experience that he didn’t quite know how to act. He’d never felt so out of place.

“Wow, your house is…” Ben trailed off, a little lost for words. He was very impressed, but trying to pretend he wasn’t. “It’s really nice. I kind of imagined you’d live in a penthouse apartment or something,” he finished lamely, wondering if he should have revealed that he’d imagined where Hux lived.

Hux was at the small, well-stocked bar fixing another drink, presumably for Ben. He glanced over. “I get enough of the postmodern, chrome aesthetic at work. I prefer a house. It reminds me of where I grew up.”

Ben came a little closer, wondering if this was more personal information he’d gotten out of Hux in the entire time he’d known him. So Hux had a childhood and didn’t just appear fully formed out of mid-air. “Cool,” he said, mostly for lack of something to say. Immediately, he could have kicked himself.

Hux didn’t seem to have noticed. He turned around and pressed a glass into Ben’s hand. Ben glanced down into the swirling, dark amber liquid. “What’s this?”

Hux went to put the spoon he’d used for the drink in the washer. “Dark and stormy. I usually take my liquor neat, but you seem like you’d need yours diluted.”

Ben had no idea how to respond to _that_ comment, so he swirled his drink and took a sip. The heavy taste of rum coated his tongue and slid down his throat. Hux mixed quite the stiff drink. He widened his eyes. “Oh. Wow.”

Hux came back and leaned against the counter, still examining Ben with that languid smile. “Not a rum man, I take it?”

Ben shrugged and took another sip. “Well, to be honest, I’m usually not more than a beer kind of guy. I’ll do shots if everyone else is doing them, I guess.”

“Do you go out to bars often?” Hux asked.

“Not really. Usually only if my friends invite me.” Ben shrugged.

Hux moved a little closer, and Ben was distracted by watching the beams of light cross over his skin. “Mm. Rey, isn’t that what you said your friend’s name was? Does she have a surname?”

Ben was about to take another sip, but then lowered his glass. He narrowed his eyes, suddenly a little suspicious. “Wait, why?”

Hux took this in stride. “You expressed dissatisfaction with me for not taking a greater interest in you outside of work. I thought I would try to honor your wishes.”

Ben mulled that over. In fact, that was _not_ what he’d said. Hux already knew quite a bit about him, nearly his whole life story, but Ben knew practically nothing about Hux in turn. He’d been objecting more to the unequal balance of their relationship, to Hux’s habit of using him and then neglecting him, but surely this was a sign of Hux realizing this and trying to make amends. Maybe he shouldn’t be so hung up on the exact wording, but rather the spirit. Surely this was Hux making an effort. Maybe he should give him the benefit of the doubt.

“Then can I ask you a question?” Ben asked, taking another sip of his strong drink. The more he had, the more it went down smooth, warming him from his throat down to his stomach. His fingers were buzzing pleasantly. He guessed he could see the appeal of this kind of drink.

Hux’s face stayed as immovable as ever. “Of course,” he said neutrally, although as always the subtext seemed to be: _But watch your step_.

“Am I the first person you’ve been with?”

Hux’s patronizing smile turned into more of a smirk. “No.”

Ben let out a nervous laugh and ran a hand through his hair, feeling a strand curl across his cheek. “No, that’s not what I mean. Like… um, an employee.” He grew a little bold. “You know, like, do you have a harem of assistants somewhere falling over themselves to wait on you hand and foot.”

Hux set his empty glass down on the counter behind him. He didn’t look angry about the question, which seemed like a good thing. “No.”

It must have been the nervous energy that made Ben grin. “So does that mean I’m special?”

Hux didn’t answer. He took three quick steps toward Ben so fast it made him startle. He backed up until the small of his back hit the table he was standing in front of. His drink was jostled in his hand.

“Would that make you jealous?” Hux asked, intense and focused all of a sudden.

“W-what?” Ben stammered, bending back more every inch Hux moved forward.

Hux was looking at Ben like he wanted to devour him. “If, like you said, I had others. Would that make you jealous?”

Like happened so often with Hux, Ben was trying to deal with a radically changed circumstance in just a few seconds. A second ago, they’d been having a regular conversation. Now, he was bent backwards over a table and trying to figure out what it was Hux wanted. “I – Well, I don’t know, it-”

Hux shut him up by boxing him in with his arms on either side. Hux took his wrists in an iron grip and pressed them to the wooden surface of the table. Ben made a little choked sound in the back of his throat.

“Do you want to be the only one, is that it? You want my sole attention to be on you?” Hux nearly purred.

Ben gaped like a fish. His arms were trembling from the position he was put in. It was an awkward angle, and he didn’t think he would be able to hold it for very much longer.

“Because you would need to prove to me that you’re worth it. Are you? Worth it?” Hux said.

Hux exerted more weight on Ben’s wrists, sending a sharp bolt of pain through him.

“H-Hux. You’re hurting me.” Ben gasped, squirming weakly to get out from under him.

Hux pushed again, and Ben lost the battle against his balance, falling backwards onto the table. The small of his back was pressed painfully into the table, and Hux still held his wrists at his sides. Ben gasped.

“You like it like this, don’t you?” Hux said lowly, looming over him.

“ _No_ ,” Ben protested, distracted by Hux’s bruising weight.

Hux kicked his legs apart. “Tell me to stop.” He ordered.

“ _Stop…_ ” Ben breathed weakly, not even sure if he meant it or not. He thought he could use a second to breathe, to think about things, but Hux’s presence was so forceful, so monumental he found himself confused.

“You know why I know you like this?” Hux said, unbuckling his belt and whipping it off in one fluid motion. He pulled Ben’s wrists over his head and cinched them tight with the belt. Ben sucked in several unsteady breaths and tried to _think_ through his panicking and overheated brain.

When Ben lifted his hands up to try and unbuckle the belt with his teeth, Hux hit him. Hard. Ben reeled in shock, tasting blood.

Hux grabbed him by the thighs and hiked him up so his hips hit the table. “Because you knew what you were getting into when you came here. Although you try your best to prove otherwise most of the time, I think you’re smart enough to figure this out.”

Ben gasped. “No, no, I don’t-”

“No, you’re not smart enough?” Hux asked cruelly. “I thought that the fact that you sucked my cock the other night would give you enough of a clue of what I wanted from you, but maybe you’re more brainless than I thought.”

Ben struggled to string his thoughts together. He felt hot and feverish, his back ached where it had been pressed into the table, his wrists hurt, and his split lip throbbed. He wanted to ask Hux to let up, just for a minute, just for a _second_ , so that he could think.

To his overwhelming mortification, he felt tears rise in his eyes. “I’m _not_ ,” he choked out.

“Not stupid?” Hux pressed him, red in his cheeks betraying the fact that he wasn’t as unaffected as he pretended to be.

Ben swallowed with difficulty. “ _No_.”

“Then you knew what you were getting into when you came here tonight.” Hux stated.

Ben nodded with his eyes pressed shut.

He could feel the heat of Hux’s body as he leaned over him, a hand stroking his cheek encouraging him to open his eyes again. “If you didn’t want to be treated like this, you wouldn’t have come here.” Hux said.

Ben choked on several things he could have said that would prove that wasn’t true. _If I didn’t come, you would have fired me. You’re blackmailing me. You didn’t give me a choice_.

Each one seemed like more and more of a weak excuse.

“Turn over,” Hux said, voice like silk.

Ben froze, staring up at Hux. He could feel his heartbeat in his split lip. Very, very far away from himself, he thought he could hear his voice of reason telling him to get up and walk out. Much closer and more present was his animal brain, his prey instincts that were telling him if he tried to get up right now, something very bad would happen. Furthermore, maybe he _wanted_ this. He would have preferred they slow down and talk about it first, but he guessed Hux was right. He _had_ known what he was getting if he showed up here.

Ben turned over, his flat stomach pressed against the cool wood of the table. He stared forward, shocked that this was happening to him _again_.

“Good boy.” Hux said, pleased. “I like it when you do what you’re told.”

Ben whimpered and his head dropped to rest on his bound hands in front of him. His knees felt weak. “Please don’t talk to me like that,” he said in a reedy voice he didn’t recognize.

Hux laughed, a dark rumble Ben could feel down his spine. “Why not?”

“Because it’s not… I don’t like it.” Ben said lamely, unable to fully vocalize how it made him feel like dirt under Hux’s shoe, like a nasty subhuman life form clinging to Hux’s pant leg.

Hux made a humming sound deep in his throat, and without warning, he unbuckled Ben’s pants and underwear and pushed them down to his knees. He reached a hand around and wrapped it firmly around Ben’s cock. Ben gave a hoarse shout and fell forward to support even more of his weight on the table.

There was a devilish smile in Hux’s voice when he spoke. “Well. This begs to differ.”

When Ben felt fingers at the small of his back, he gasped and tried to wriggle out from underneath Hux. This was too fast, too soon. What they’d done already was one thing, but this was quite another.

“Hux, Hux, can we just… Can we please hang on a second? I – I’m having a hard time thinking, I, uh-” Ben stuttered.

Hux pressed a heavy hand down on the back of Ben’s neck, pushing him flat on the table. “I thought we established already that thinking isn’t your strong suit.” He said in an arch tone that could have been a joke under other circumstances, situations where Ben wasn’t bent over a table by his haughty, richer-than-sin boss.

This time, tears did spring to Ben’s eyes. His vision wavered in front of him. “I…” He trailed off miserably, unsure what he was going to say. Did Hux really think that of him, or was this just his sadistic form of dirty talk? He was getting more and more distracted by the warm weight of Hux behind him, even as he felt hurt.

Hux took advantage of Ben’s hesitance. He left one heavy hand on the back of Ben’s neck and kicked his feet apart. A second later, a hand appeared in front of his face. “Spit.” Hux ordered.

Ben’s mind shuttered. He didn’t have it in him to string a sentence together. The heat from Hux’s voice seemed to take him by the scruff of his neck like a helpless kitten, and in the face of his hurt and confusion, all he could think to do was follow orders.

Ben spit into Hux’s hand, watching the saliva drip onto Hux’s fingers, and this more than anything they had done so far seemed so over-the-line, so dirty that he felt immediate shame take over his brain.

Hux’s hand disappeared out of his line of vision, and Ben just stared out the black window in shock, at the night which he couldn’t see.

“I’ll do the thinking for you, Ben. Now settle down.” Hux said, this time in the same tone he used in the office, the steely crack that told Ben to fall in line without delay. Ben didn’t stand a chance.

Ben felt pressure at his entrance, and then two spit-slick fingers pushed into him. Up to the first knuckle. Up to the second. He stopped thinking, stopped worrying as Hux curled his fingers and brushed against that spot in Ben that made his brain light up with electricity. He whined and collapsed forward onto his bound hands. To his ears, it sounded like another person was making those sounds. Surely he couldn’t make those needy, desperate little sounds. Surely this was happening to someone else.

Hux worked him until he was squirming in place, desperate for something a little more than the scant stimulation Hux was giving him. He’d grown hard, and it was stuck between him and the table, and he thought if Hux kept going like this for very much longer he was going to lose his mind.

“H-Hux…” Ben pleaded through numb lips.

“I know. Be quiet.” Hux said, businesslike. He pulled his fingers away abruptly, and there was a hurried fumbling as Hux did something behind him.

With no warning, Hux pushed into him, slowly at first until he was fully seated. It seemed to take forever, and the stretch was enough to hurt. Ben made a hoarse grunting sound and bit his lip so hard he opened the wound. He tasted blood again.

Hux was still for a moment, hand still placed securely on Ben’s neck, holding him down. Before Ben even got a chance to get used to the stretch and weight of Hux inside him, Hux began fucking him in sharp, unhurried thrusts, like this was nothing more than a job to get done.

“ _Oh fuck,_ ” Ben moaned. It hurt but it also felt so good, and those two conflicting sensations fought for control of his brain and nerve endings.

Already on edge, it didn’t take long for Ben to come with a shout, shuddering with the force.

Hux didn’t even seem to notice. He kept fucking him, and it was almost off-putting how quiet he was. In comparison to Ben, who couldn’t stop himself from whimpering and moaning, small, helpless, embarrassing sounds, Hux was brisk and businesslike. Ben wished he could see Hux’s face.

There had been some lubrication, but not quite enough, so when this started to really hurt, Ben bit down on the loose end of the belt that had been tied around his wrists. The leather was smooth and oiled, and Ben’s mind spun in circles imagining Hux wearing this.

Ben stopped thinking for a while, but Hux was nothing if not efficient. He came with a strangled, angry sound in the back of his throat that was probably the most emotion Ben had succeeded in getting out of him so far.

Hux didn’t linger, pulling out of Ben and zipping himself back up. Ben lay flat where he’d been left, a little too fucked-out to think about anything.

He thought he was drooling a little and tried to stop. His first thought was that he didn’t want to get Hux’s nice table dirty. Upon realizing how ridiculous that was, a little helpless giggle escaped him.

Ben expected to get kicked out now that Hux had gotten what he wanted, but to his surprise, Hux came back after a short absence with a damp cloth and a glass of water. He briskly cleaned Ben up and pulled his pants back up. Ben winced when the fabric brushed over his sore ass.

Hux disappeared into what was probably a laundry room to deposit the cloth and then came back. Ben’s brain was slowly circling down to earth again, but he felt shaky with endorphins. He wasn’t sure his legs would hold him, so he stayed half-lying on the table.

“Come here.” Hux said, helping Ben leverage himself up onto his elbows and holding the glass of cool water up to his lips. Ben drank gratefully. He was just realizing how swimmy his head was. The drink Hux had given him must have been stronger than he thought. Hux didn’t make any move to untie his hands, and Ben was incapable of asking at the moment.

Hux watched him drink the water with a neutral expression, like this was just another step he had to take. Ben wished he could break that expression, could coax an emotion he was sure was lurking under the surface to light. If he thought his legs would hold him, he thought he would try and kiss Hux, see what he did.

After Ben had his fill, Hux set down the glass and grabbed Ben firmly by the arms. “I’m taking you upstairs. You’re going to need to walk for me. Alright?”

His tone was neutral, but Ben complied without thinking. He was feeling very tired all of a sudden. He hoped a soft surface was somewhere in his future. Hux steered Ben back down the narrow hall and up some stairs, and Ben found himself in a bedroom all of a sudden. He thought he should probably have an opinion about this, but his main concern right now was shutting his eyes and taking a nap. Just a short one. Then he could ask some questions, get right in his head what had just happened.

He made a muzzy sound in his throat as he was deposited in a bed. There was a tugging at his wrists as the belt was removed.

From far away, he heard Hux speaking. “I have some work to get done. You do not have my permission to leave this bed for any reason. Understood?”

Hux had to shake him gently and repeat the question a second time to get Ben to respond. “ _Y-yeah, okay…”_ Ben mumbled vaguely, not even sure what he was agreeing to. He was relieved when Hux went away and he could finally sleep. _Just for a moment_ , he promised himself as the dark rose up and took him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh, sure would be a shame if Ben didn't completely process what he was promising to Hux at the end there, and disobeyed when he wakes up! That sure would suck! For Ben, at least..
> 
> I hope y'all have been enjoying the smut, but I have also promised a plot, and we'll get moving on that front in the next chapter. Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

When Ben woke up, he was a little sore and didn’t know what time it was.

He rolled over, not remembering for a few moments why he was in someone’s unfamiliar bed. It took a glance down at his wrists, which still had the angry red outline of the belt digging into them, to remember what happened.

Ben glanced around the room he’d been deposited in. He hadn’t been in a state to notice any details about it before. Hux’s bed was huge and pressed flush against the wall farthest from the door. From the straight lines at the foot of the bed, Ben could tell that the sheets and comforter were usually fitted as tight as at an army barracks. He saw with slight guilt that he’d kicked the sheets around a little in his sleep, messing up the bed.

The rest of the room was furnished handsomely with sleek wooden furniture and autumnal colors. There were a few more pastoral scenes hanging on the wall, something a little bleak and lonely about them. Ben mused over them for a moment, thinking they didn’t quite mesh with what he thought he knew of Hux. They seemed like a strange choice.

At that thought, his mind returned to Hux. He realized he was alone in this room, and he couldn’t hear any sound coming from elsewhere in the house. The door to the bedroom was open a sliver. “Hux?” Ben called out, his voice sounding a little querulous in the silence.

There was no response.

Ben checked his pocket and the bedside table for his phone in his automatic instinct of seeing what time it was and if anybody had tried to get in touch with him when he was asleep. His phone was missing, and it took him a second to remember Hux had told him to leave it downstairs in his coat.

Ben swung his feet out of bed, intending to go down and get his phone. In his preoccupation, he forgot entirely the promise he’d made to Hux before he fell asleep.

The second Ben had his feet under him again, his vision blurred with the sudden rush of blood to his head and he staggered a little. He had to throw a hand out to catch himself against the wall.

“Jesus…” he muttered, blinking fast to clear his vision and breathing deep until he didn’t quite feel like his head was filled with cotton. He felt a little hungover, which didn’t make any sense. He’d only had one drink. He hadn’t even finished it before Hux got started. An uncomfortable implication tried to rise in the back of his mind, but he ignored it.

A little cautiously, Ben walked out of the bedroom into the hallway. More wood paneling out here, and a long hall runner that looked expensive led to half a dozen more rooms on this floor. Ben wondered what one man could possibly need with all this room. It seemed a little excessive to him.

“Hello? Hux? Are you here?” Ben called again, feeling naturally awkward being in someone else’s house without them being there.

In his curiosity about the other rooms on this floor, he forgot his phone. He started exploring the rest of the second floor, unintentionally feeling like a figure in a cautionary fairy tale, Bluebeard’s wife poking into her husband’s business even when she knew the consequences.

The first room Ben found was a bathroom. Huge, open, luxurious, but still a bathroom. Ben stepped up to the sink, intending on splashing some water on his face, hoping to shake some of the cobwebs away. He startled when he saw himself in the mirror, his split lip slightly swollen and red with dried blood. He touched it cautiously, wincing at the sting.

The sight of his injury reminded him how he got it. Now alone and somewhat free of Hux’s influence, he thought uneasily about how Hux had just ignored Ben’s repeated attempts to get him to stop, or at least slow down. This was a fairly worrying thought, but he _had_ liked it, in the end. Surely that meant it was okay… Right? He hadn’t liked the way Hux had spoken to him, had in fact been quite hurt by it, but his body had decided seemingly of its own accord to just submit when Hux started pulling at his reins.

Ben shook his head, splashed water on his face, tried to drive those thoughts out of his head. He made a decision. He would bring it up with Hux when he got back. Yes, he could be cold and intimidating, but surely he would listen if Ben told him he was a little uncomfortable. He’d given him water afterwards and let him sleep in his bed, so he wasn’t _all_ bad. There had to be a heart in there somewhere.

Ben left the bathroom and moved on to the next room. It appeared to be a small, personal library. There was a fireplace against the wall that didn’t look like it had ever been used, and the walls were absolutely covered with shelves and shelves of books.

“ _Holy shit,_ ” Ben muttered, wandering down the aisle in a bit of awe. He’d never seen anyone’s house look like this before. The house he’d grown up in hadn’t exactly been _small_ , but this was a whole other ballgame. The shelves at eye level had mostly modern books, dry non-fiction tomes and legal treatises but on the higher shelves, he saw books that looked old and leather-bound. He wondered if those were expensive first-editions or not.

A table near the window had artfully-arranged bronze and gold figurines of various human and animal shapes. They looked similar but not identical to the one he’d broken that had gotten him into this mess. Ben made sure to steer a wide berth around that table, not wanting to even run a miniscule chance of breaking another one.

He moved on to the next room, by this point in a bit of a daze. The third room he found seemed to be a guest bedroom of some kind. In contrast to Hux’s bedroom, this one was austerely furnished, a queen-sized four-poster bed, a dresser, and a closed door to what was presumably an attached bathroom.

Ben’s gaze was drawn by a framed photo on display on the dresser. This was the only photo he’d seen in the whole house. All other adornment so far had been paintings or some other kind of art. He walked over and picked it up.

It was what seemed to be a family picture. Five people stood on the edge of a lake. A dock stretched picturesquely behind them out into the water. They all stared austerely and unsmilingly into the camera. This photo was clearly a duty that none of them had been very excited about. There were two parents and three kids of pre-adolescent age, two boys and a girl, dressed up for what looked like a Sunday dinner.

The father was strong and broad-shouldered, with thick, muscular arms and a wide, hard-looking face. His hair was shorn close. He looked more like a voyageur than a man in the modern age, but he had the tight, hard expression of a man who knew what he wanted and got it.

The mother was thin nearly to the point of nonexistence, and it seemed significant that neither parent stood next to each other nor turned their faces close. The mother had one hand on the daughter’s shoulder, and in her other hand held a martini glass delicately by the stem. She, most of all, looked unhappy to be here.

The children ranged in age and height, but all three shared something, an austere brittleness that made them seem much older than they were. The daughter and oldest son shared the white-blonde hair of their parents, and from their closed-off expressions, Ben would be willing to bet they’d inherited some other traits from their parents.

It was the middle boy that caught Ben’s attention. He was only a few inches shorter than the older brother in the photograph, and he differed most obviously from the rest of his family by the shock of red hair that shone almost copper in the sunlight. He was dressed identically to his brother in a grey suit that made him look absurdly self-serious for a child. While everyone else in the photo was looking straight ahead, the child who had to be Hux was caught looking at his father, who had a hand on the older brother’s shoulder, with a look of sullen jealousy. Ben was shocked to see that expression of frank emotion on Hux’s face. So far in their relationship, if that was what you wanted to call it, the most he had been able to pull out of Hux was a thin smile and a cruel laugh or two.

Ben took in what had to be Hux’s family with unbridled curiosity. Just this small snapshot was enough to tell him, like he didn’t already know, that his and Hux’s lives were so colossally different. When Ben had been that age, he had been mostly preoccupied with video games and convincing his dad to teach him how to drive years before he was of legal age. His mother Leia would have had to call up a full court-martial to get him into anything resembling nice clothes. There was something so austere and distant about this photo. He wondered why Hux kept his only family photo in a sparsely furnished guest bedroom, out of sight most of the time.

Ben was so preoccupied with his exploration that he didn’t hear anyone behind him until Hux’s angry voice broke the silence.

“What do you think you’re doing in here?”

Ben startled and spun around, almost dropping the photograph in the process. Hux stood in the doorway, one hand clutching the doorframe. His face was a rigid mask, but Ben had gotten to know him just well enough to be able to tell that he was really angry. His eyes glittered cold, and at the sight Ben’s previous curiosity disappeared like a match being blown out.

Ben set the picture back on the dresser with care. Something dark flickered in Hux’s face at the sight. “I… I was just…”

Hux interrupted him, voice like a sharp whip crack. “What did you promise me before I left?”

Ben’s throat had gone dry. “You weren’t here, and I was curious about-”

Hux’s eyes flicked to the picture Ben had seen and then back at his face. His jaw tightened. “I asked you a question, Ben. Answer me.”

It was only now that Ben remembered when he’d sleepily repeated what Hux had prompted him to say seconds before he fell asleep. “You told me to stay in bed. But I…”

“No.” Hux snapped, like he was scolding a child. “You made me a promise.”

Ben blinked, unprepared for Hux’s blistering anger. “I didn’t think it was that big a deal!” He protested.

“Well, that wasn’t your decision to be made. I told you to do something. You were supposed to listen.” Hux said, still blocking the door.

Some of Ben’s latent common sense decided it was time to show its face. He frowned. “You can’t just _order_ me to do something like that.”

“No?”

“No. We’re not at work.” Ben said, sounding more confident than he felt.

Hux didn’t move. The fact that he was so immovable was somehow more threatening than if he had come thundering right up to him. “And why do you think that would make any difference?”

Ben scoffed in incredulity. “Because if we’re in the office and you tell me to do something, I do it because that’s my job. This… whatever this is… it’s different. I’m here because I want to be.”

Hux raised an eyebrow in condescension. “Hmm. I didn’t see you taking a lot of initiative earlier this evening.”

Ben could feel himself flushing in embarrassment and tried not to. “See, this is what I’m talking about! You can’t just talk to me like that!”

Hux looked mock curious. “I see. What exactly are you going to do if I continue?”

Ben sputtered a little. This entire conversation was getting away from him. It was as if Hux was being deliberately obtuse. “I’ll leave!” He announced.

“Then leave.” Hux said, dark eyes challenging. He didn’t move from the doorway.

For the first time, Ben contemplated the possibility of a real physical altercation between them. Ben was taller, though not by much, and although he’d never been in a fight in his life, he thought from a physical standpoint, he probably held the advantage. However, Hux hadn’t had any trouble holding Ben down earlier tonight, and he proved he was deceptively strong, holding a wiry strength in his arms you wouldn’t have guessed from just looking at him. More than that, Hux had something about him that made it seem like, despite the charmed lifestyle and the suits, he could handle himself in a fight. He had an iciness to him that more than made up for anything else.

All of a sudden, Ben was tired of Hux’s ultimatums and his authority. He’d already allowed Hux to do things to him he wouldn’t have taken from anyone else, and it was beginning to occur to him that he didn’t know why. Realistically, what would Hux really do if he tried to walk out the door right now? Every time Hux put his foot down, Ben fell into line because of the obtuse threat that Hux’s authority represented, but what was Hux really going to do to him? Ben decided he was going to count on the assumption that Hux’s threats were hollow. If he didn’t test Hux’s authority now, he never would.

Ben broke his paralysis and started for the door. He started out pretty confident, but Hux seemed absolutely unphased by his movement. He didn’t move out of the way. Most of his body blocked the doorway, and his arm was stretched out to the opposite frame.

“Are you going to move?” Ben asked, and when Hux didn’t, Ben decided he would just try and force past him. He brought up a hand to move Hux’s arm aside, and next thing he knew, he found himself bent double, with his right arm twisted up and back so that it put tremendous pressure on his shoulder and Hux’s heavy hand on the back of his neck holding him there.

Ben squawked in surprise and tried to struggle free. In retaliation, Hux pulled up on his arm. Agony burst in his shoulder, and Ben stopped moving. “Stop! Stop, Hux, you’re going to break my arm!” Ben panted.

The only thing he could see right now were his own feet and the hall runner in his peripheral vision.

“Are you ready to listen?” Hux’s calm, collected voice hovered somewhere over his right shoulder.

Stubbornness made Ben snarl and try to fight back. He didn’t dare try to move his right arm that Hux held in so tight a grip, so he started to flail around with his free left hand, trying to reach even an inch of Hux’s skin, but he was out of luck. The best he could do was try to scratch at Hux’s hand on his neck.

Hux sighed and dropped him abruptly. Before Ben could scramble to his feet, Hux kicked him squarely in the ribs, sending him sprawling hard on the ground. Ben landed wrong on his wrist, and cried out in pain.

Ben looked back at Hux, wide-eyed and disoriented. Hux looked down at him with dark eyes and started to roll up his sleeves. “I didn’t really want to deal with your pitiful little rebellion tonight, you impudent thing, but some people only learn the hard way.”

Ben gasped and scrambled away, mortified to realize there were tears in his eyes. This had spiraled out of control so quickly, and this wasn’t playful like the other times Hux had ordered him around and manhandled him, this wasn’t a harmless illicit thrill. This felt like the real thing, and he wasn’t having fun anymore. He wanted to get out of here. He would worry about the consequences later.

Ben made it halfway down the hallway when he felt a hand wrap around his ankle and yank him back. Ben ended up flat on his stomach, and he screamed when he felt Hux get on top of him. “Get off me. Get _off_ of me!”

Ben realized he was in a very compromising position again, so he fought against Hux’s weight to turn over, so that he would have more leverage to fight back. He actually managed to dislodge Hux from him for a moment, but he simply rebounded off the wall and came back, straddling Ben’s waist and grabbing for his wrists.

Ben screamed again, in a panic this time as he felt first one wrist and then the other be grabbed and forced to the ground on either side of his head. His foot kicked out uselessly, and he writhed in Hux’s grip, having enough energy to get his chest off the ground for a brief moment. In his feral panic, all he could think to do was spit in Hux’s face.

Hux wiped his face off with an unsettlingly blank expression on his face before getting hold of Ben’s wrists again and using his weight to hold them there. Ben struggled desperately for a few more seconds before he had to concede defeat.

His face was hot, and he realized he was crying. The whole mess of a situation was crashing down around his ears, and he didn’t know what to do.

“Are you done?” Hux asked, like he was waiting out a childish tantrum. The only thing that betrayed his recent exertion was his slightly mussed hair and the fact that one of his buttons was undone.

Ben shook his head furiously, and tried once more to get his wrists free, without success. “Get the fuck _off_ of me!” He cried, his forcefulness somewhat diminished by his current position and the tears on his cheeks.

Hux narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip until Ben cried out and finally stilled. The sharp edge of something was digging into his hip, and it hurt. He blinked up at Hux, really afraid of him for the first time. “Are you going to hurt me?” He asked, tears choking his voice.

Hux tilted his head, looking down at Ben like he was a malfunctioning piece of machinery, something to be stripped, tightened, and replaced. “Don’t you think you deserve it?”

“ _No!_ ” Ben said, a little shocked. He thought longingly of the front door, but it was much too far away to reach.

“Let me ask you a question, Ben. How exactly would you take it if a guest, someone you invited into your home, disregarded your completely reasonable request to not go rummaging through your personal things and then had the audacity to act like they had done nothing wrong?” Hux said.

“Th-that’s not what happened!” Ben protested.

“No? Then enlighten me.”

“I was just – I was… I was just curious! I don’t know anything about you, and you’re always so… so closed off, and I just wanted to know you! I didn’t want this to be such a one-way street!” Ben said, wishing his hands were free so he could wipe his face off.

“Flattery won’t get you anywhere with me.” Hux said flatly.

“It’s not! It’s the truth! I just thought that if I knew more about you, maybe I could… I don’t know… I don’t understand you, Hux.” Ben finished a little weakly. It was the truth, but he didn’t like admitting it.

Hux watched him for a good long moment, harsh and unknowable. “Before we move on, we need to get one thing straight. When I tell you to do something, it doesn’t matter if we’re at work or not, you do it. Immediately and without complaint. Understand?”

Irritation at being treated like a child rose up in Ben’s chest again, and he opened his mouth to argue. Immediately, like he was waiting for this response, Hux jabbed him hard in the kidney. Pain shot through him, and he was thus caught off guard when Hux trapped both of his wrists with one hand and backhanded him. Ben’s vision throbbed in and out in a red haze.

He let out a harsh sob when he felt Hux grab his chin and force him to look at him. “Let me make this perfectly clear for you. If you don’t want to be here, I won’t keep you. You can cough up one hundred and fifty grand somehow. You can ask your mother back home for money. I’m sure she won’t be surprised if you come crawling back in trouble. Or maybe that’s not your style. Maybe you’d rather find some wealthy socialite to take you in as a pet, since that’s all you’re good for. Get them to pay your bills.”

Ben stared wide-eyed at Hux, in perfect shock. Tears swam in his eyes. Some of that had cut a little too close to home. “I…” He choked out, the words drying up in his throat.

“The first time I saw you, I knew you needed someone to protect you from yourself. What self-respecting person would agree to masturbating in front of their boss? You walked into the room with ‘eager to please’ stamped on your forehead, and so far, you haven’t done anything to prove me wrong.” Hux said sadistically.

Ben’s lips trembled, and he hated that reaction, hated that he couldn’t stop it, hated himself. “It was your idea,” he whispered, the only protest he could come up with at the moment.

“And you did it. Without complaint. What does that say about you?” Hux asked, knees boxing him in.

Hurt flashed across Ben’s face. He felt like shriveling up and dying on the spot.

Hux searched his eyes, looking satisfied by Ben’s lack of response. He smiled. “So. If you stay, you’ll play by my rules. Can we agree to that?”

His voice pitched up into a tone of false compassion, and Ben hated that he latched onto that. Hux wasn’t presenting him with a real choice at all. It was stay and be humiliated or take the chance of leaving, but have his whole life ruined. Ben had no doubt in his mind that if he did decide to leave, Hux would stay true to his word. He’d be taken to court for breach of contract. He’d lose everything. His family could lose everything. Really, he didn’t have a choice.

Ben closed his eyes, unable to stomach looking at Hux’s expression when he nodded slowly, his stomach roiling.

Hux still held his chin in a tight grip, and he didn’t let him off the hook for a good long moment. “If I want you to know something about me, I’ll ask you. You will stay in your place.”

Ben nodded again. He just wanted this to be over.

Finally, Hux let go of his chin and wrists, getting off of him. Still unable to look at him, Ben rolled over onto his side and curled up into a ball, at this point not caring how pathetic it might make him look. He was trying with an almost titanic effort to avoid crying. His throat and the backs of his eyes hurt from the force. He wanted to be as quiet as he could. He wanted Hux to let him go. He wanted to go back home to his own apartment, burrow under his sheets, and never leave again.

Meanwhile, he heard Hux stand up over him, still as unruffled as ever. “You’re a mess. I’m going to go run you a bath. Come in when you’ve got yourself under control.”

Ben stiffened in fear, the prospect of what a bath could really mean freezing his spine. After what had just happened, there was no ounce of him that was even remotely in the mood for sex, but he also didn’t know how he would be able to refuse right now.

Hux noticed his reaction, because he spoke up. “Ben. Relax. When I say a bath, I mean a bath. Nothing more.”

Hux walked away, and after a few seconds, he could hear the sound of a faucet running in the bathroom down the hall.

Now that he was alone, Ben curled up into even an even smaller ball, arms over his face. He was making short, choked sounds that could turn into full-on sobs if he let them. He didn’t want to cry now, didn’t want to demonstrate any more weakness in front of Hux, who already thought so little of him.

It was a hard-fought battle, but eventually he managed to push back the edges of the panic attack, at least for the moment. He rolled over and sat up slowly, only now realizing how sore he really was. His hips and sides felt bruised from the scuffle and he thought his wrist was definitely sprained from where he’d fallen on it. Worse than that was the throbbing ache in his face from where Hux had hit him. He wondered if he was bruised, what he was going to do if he had to go out in public.

He could hear the steady sound of water in the other room, and he dragged himself to his feet reluctantly. He’d better get going before Hux came back wondering where he was. Ben trudged down the hall, stopping outside the half-open door to the bathroom. Ten feet past the door was the stairway to the first floor, and beyond the front door and freedom. He thought about just ignoring Hux’s direction, just leaving, but at the thought of everything Hux was holding over his head, he knew he couldn’t do that.

Ben opened the door and walked into the bathroom, arms hugged around his waist. Hux was sitting on the edge of the bath, fully clothed. “Get in.” He said unsmilingly.

Ben was too exhausted to put up any kind of fight anymore. Mechanically, he stripped off his clothes and dropped them in a pile on the floor near the sink. He clambered in, sinking into the water dejectedly. Once he was seated, he angled his body away from Hux and wrapped his arms around his knees, still not making eye contact. He felt absolutely miserable, despite the soothing warmth of the water.

Hux let him sit unmolested for a few moments before speaking. “You’ll feel better if you stretch out a little.” His tone wasn’t exactly warm, but it wasn’t furious like it had been a few minutes ago.

Ben looked up at him briefly and then away again. He watched the water ripple out from Hux’s fingertips where he’d been checking the temperature of the water. “Why are you doing this?” He asked, voice low.

He could tell Hux was looking at him very intently, but he couldn’t look up, couldn’t meet his eyes after what had just happened. His face felt puffy and hot from trying not to cry.

Hux sighed. “I’m not trying to make you miserable.”

Ben couldn’t stop the incredulous noise that escaped his mouth and immediately cringed, thinking Hux would take offense.

“Ben. Look at me.” Hux said, tone like iron but with no anger underneath.

Ben chanced a glance up. Hux was looking at him for the first time with an expression besides anger or blank contempt. His expression had softened, just a little. Ben blinked, not understanding where this was coming from after what had just happened. He wouldn’t let himself trust it.

“I asked you here tonight because I’m interested in you.” Hux paused. “I am a very private person. I rarely invite anyone into my life. Most of the time, when I’m sleeping with someone, I don’t bring them to my home.”

“Really?” Ben asked, trying not to get drawn into whatever backwards apology Hux was preparing here. Still, the fact that Hux was even bothering to apologize at all had to mean something… right?

“Yes.” Hux had spots of water drying on his white dress shirt, and Ben was curiously fascinated.

Ben shifted positions a little bit, putting his hurt wrist under the water. The warmth of the bath felt heavenly. “Why… I don’t understand. Why me?”

“Like I said. You interest me. You’re very hardworking to a selfless extent. I’ve had a lot of employees, and nearly all of them work hard, but you’re… different. You work to impress, to please, not to get higher up the ladder. Most who catch my notice want to be a partner. As you’ll see, nobody gets that far, because they don’t have what it takes. When they are disappointed, they quit. They move on to something else. You didn’t. You have… appropriate ambition for who you are.”

Hux punctuated this speech by making small concentric circles in the water with a finger. Ben watched this, a little hypnotized, confused by how differently Hux was acting now from a few minutes ago. He didn’t know if he should be offended by this conception of his character.

The thing was, Hux wasn’t wrong. Ben didn’t have any ambitions to be partner or anything like that. For one, he didn’t think he would be able to hack it, and the thought of that much responsibility terrified him. He was satisfied enough toiling where he was. If he was being perfectly honest, he just wanted approval from someone who mattered. Someone like Hux. This was why what he’d said a few minutes ago had hurt so badly. But now he seemed to be changing his tune, and Ben didn’t know which one was true. He tried not to get pulled in, to relax and fall back under Hux’s spell now when a few minutes he’d attacked and berated him, but that was easier said than done. Ben _had_ been rooting around in his personal life, and he should have known someone like Hux wouldn’t take kindly to that. Maybe Hux had just been overcome with anger in the moment. Now… he seemed different.

“I like to think I see things in people. I see something in you. I suppose that was why I was so disappointed, because I know you can do better. I know you can _be_ better.” Hux said, eyes boring into him.

Ben blinked and looked away. He didn’t like to admit that this was working on him, just a little. He couldn’t help the small part of him that desperately wanted Hux’s approval, that would do almost anything to get it. Hell, he’d already done a lot of things he wasn’t proud of, just to make Hux happy.

However, looking down at his aching wrist floating in the water, some of his common sense came back. No, what was he _thinking_? Five minutes ago, Hux had held him down, called him horrible things just for the crime of not being a mindless drone. He couldn’t fall for this, no matter how persuasive Hux was.

Hux seemed to sense his uncertainty. He reached for Ben’s hand, but Ben flinched away. He stopped and sighed. He considered Ben like a puzzle for a moment.

“Alright. Tell you what. I can see you’re still not sure. How about this. I’ll let you ask me three questions about myself. Whatever they are, I’ll answer them.” Hux said.

Ben looked sharply up at Hux, shocked by the offer. “Anything?”

Hux was as cool as ever. “Within reason.”

Ben bit his lip. He didn’t want to fall for it, he was trying so hard not to fall for it, but he was really _very_ curious about Hux. And, since Hux had trapped him in his orbit so thoroughly, what could it hurt to play along? Just because he got his questions answered, didn’t mean he had to forgive him for what he’d just done. He couldn’t get away from Hux either way. Forewarned was forearmed.

He shifted in the water, lowering his knees so they went under the water, feeling all his sore muscles clench and start to relax. He rotated his hurt wrist and winced. “I think my wrist is sprained.” He said, the smallest amount of reproach in his voice all he was willing to risk.

Hux didn’t look sorry, but who knew what lay below that glassy exterior? “Ask your questions, and then I can wrap that up for you.”

And maybe it was the strange conception of Hux taking the time to look after him that had Ben stretch out in the water, just a little bit. He thought for a long moment about what he was going to ask, but one thing jumped out before all the rest.

“That picture I saw, that was your family?” Ben asked.

Hux’s jaw tightened, and for a second Ben thought he’d made a mistake. “I think you’re probably intelligent enough to figure out that one on your own.” Hux said drily.

Ben shrugged. “Well. Yes, but I kind of wanted to learn, you know, more about them.”

“That’s not the question you asked.” Hux said, dry amusement in his eyes. “If we were in the courtroom, I could hold you to it, call that one question.”

Ben spluttered. “Hux. Come _on_.”

Hux smiled at his annoyance. “But, in the interest of our agreement, I will take you at the spirit of your question rather than the letter. Yes, those are my parents, and my brother and sister.”

“What are their names?” Ben asked, forgetting for the moment how sore he was in the shadow of this new information on Hux. The idea of Hux having a family was so bizarre to him.

“My older brother is Liam, and my younger sister Shannon. That’s one question.” Hux said, smoothly sidestepping any mention of his parents.

Ben mulled over what he was going to ask next. He felt like he wasn’t asking the right questions, like this unique opportunity was slipping away from him at a rapid rate, but he couldn’t think of what the right thing to ask would be.

“Why is that the only picture you have? Why do you have it hidden away in a guest bedroom?”

This time Ben knew he wasn’t imagining the strained look on Hux’s face. There was something there, something Ben had stumbled upon that Hux didn’t want to disclose. “My family and I have a… difficult relationship.”

Ben waited, but that was apparently all he was going to get. “How so?”

Hux’s face shut down. “You’ve asked two questions. You’ve gotten two answers. Choose your next wisely.”

Ben bit his lip. Okay. So that topic of conversation was definitely off limits, then. He didn’t want to blow his last chance to finally wring some information out of Hux. Who knew if an opportunity like this would come around again.

His mind turned to what Hux had said to him in the hallway, and he found himself asking a question he wasn’t sure he wanted the answer to. “Do you really think I’m pathetic?” He asked, voice small. He aimed a careful look up at Hux, afraid of what he would find.

Hux paused for much longer this time. He was carefully judging how Ben would react to whatever he said next. Ben felt his heart in his throat.

Finally, Hux spoke. “I think you have a weakness in you, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Some people like that sort of thing.”

“People like you?” Ben asked.

Hux smiled thinly. “You’ve asked your three questions. It’s late. Let’s get you cleaned up. I want to get to bed.”

Ben only realized now that the bath was getting lukewarm. He washed his face off and then got out. Hux handed him a towel wordlessly, and offered a pile of dry sleep clothes. After Ben was dressed, he stood in front of the mirror and watched entranced as Hux felt his wrist with sure fingers, wrapping a strip of gauze tightly around it until it was held straight. After that, he took Ben’s chin between his fingers and examined him carefully. Ben was relieved to see that the only visible evidence of their fight on his face was his split lip, and after the blood was washed off, it didn’t look too bad.

The silent, soothing pattern of Hux cleaning him up and taking care of him felt hypnotizing, strange, but not unwelcome. They didn’t speak during it, and Ben tried not to soften, tried not to forget how afraid he’d been only an hour before, but he couldn’t help but read something into the fact that Hux had shared personal information with him. It was obvious that Hux was the type to keep his secrets close, so the fact that Hux was willing to share this with Ben had to mean something. Right?

Hux led him back to the bedroom, and got into bed with him after turning the lights off. Ben tensed in anticipation of some touch landing on him, but it seemed that Hux had been telling the truth. It was late, and he really did want to sleep. Ben had so much rattling around in his head that he knew he should sort out, but he succumbed to exhaustion, falling asleep beside Hux.

The next morning, Hux was back to his usual, brisk self. He directed Ben to get dressed again, and led him downstairs, getting his coat out of the closet and handing it to him.

“One thing before you go. I want you to go straight home right now, and if any of your friends call and invite you out tonight, you will decline.” Hux said, like it was normal to give ultimatums like this to another person.

“What?” Ben asked, a little too caught off guard to be annoyed.

Hux looked at him calmly. “You will not go out tonight. I don’t want you going out tomorrow night either.”

Ben frowned. “You can’t just –”

“Do you want to explain how you got that?” Hux interrupted him, pointing at his split lip.

Ben looked at the ground, not liking the reminder. His bandaged wrist twinged in sympathy. So did his twisted shoulder and bruised hips.

Hux took his silence for assent. “And besides, as we’ve already discussed, you’ve agreed to follow my rules. Yes?”

In the cold light of morning, some of Ben’s assent to what had happened last night was challenged, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to tell Hux that. He nodded curtly.

Hux took one step closer, and Ben stiffened. “Then you will stay home tonight and tomorrow?”

Ben looked up at him and tried to summon up some of the courage he’d left behind in the hallway last night. “Yes, sir,” He said, meaning for it to be sarcastic, but both he and Hux knew that things had gone too far for that.

Hux let him go, and Ben started the long trek back to the subway station. He was starting to realize how sore he was. He resolutely tried not to think about what had happened last night, but panicked thoughts kept creeping in, reactions to being trapped in this relationship with no way out, or at least not one he could see right now. He tried to beat those thoughts back with how Hux had finally seemed to thaw just a little bit, that surely that had to mean something.

He couldn’t kid himself anymore. He was in a bad situation, one that didn’t seem to be getting any better. He couldn’t allow himself to be tricked by Hux’s half-hearted attempts at soothing him afterwards. He just didn’t know what the hell he was going to do about it.

As he walked down the steps to the train station, a painful twinge on his left side reminded him how Hux had manhandled him, had dragged him down the hallway, had, he was willing to admit now, scared the ever-loving shit out of him.

Ben stood forlorn on the platform and leaned against a pole. He sighed. This whole situation seemed to only be getting more and more out of hand, and he was starting to feel the noose tightening around his neck.

While he waited, he checked his phone, which he hadn’t had a chance to look at since last night. No texts, no calls. Ben frowned and slipped the phone back in his pocket. He usually expected a few messages from Rey, or even sometimes his parents, but there was nothing this morning.

He was deep in thought, but hadn’t settled on a solution to his many problems by the time the train pulled up, and he was jostled out of his contemplation by having to jog to get in before it pulled away from the station.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... now Ben is starting to get an idea of the trouble he's in... Not that it'll do him much good. I will most likely post a chapter next week!


	10. Chapter 10

When Ben got home from Hux’s house, he kept his word and didn’t go out, although this had less to do with Hux’s ultimatum and more that it was Sunday and he was tired out from his long night, even after his short sleep at Hux’s house. The second he got back to his apartment, he tore off his clothes and collapsed face-first on the bed, falling asleep within minutes.

By the time he woke up again, it was early afternoon and he was horribly groggy. He rolled over, checked the time, and groaned. He’d wasted almost the entire day.

Ben walked into the bathroom and checked the mirror. He was relieved to see that his split lip wasn’t quite as bad as it felt, although he’d have a devil of a time convincing anyone he’d gotten it by accident. He didn’t relish that conversation, having to come up with some excuse to cover it up, so he thought Hux was probably right about not going anywhere. There was a faint bruise on his chin, but that wasn’t quite as noticeable. All in all, he’d gotten off pretty easily.

A second later, Ben realized how fucked up it was he was thinking in terms of getting off easy. Looking at his pale face in the mirror, he knew he had to do something to get away from Hux. If he could get out of this contract, all he had to do then was leave town. It felt a little drastic thinking like that, but after what had happened at Hux’s house, Ben knew he had to start thinking seriously about getting away from Hux.

Ben walked into his kitchen, calling someone he knew from another firm. Making it seem like he was talking about a client and not himself, he inquired whether they would be able to help him get out of a contract that would require him to pay as much money as Hux was holding over his head. At first, they were very helpful, saying that most likely Ben had a case, that that sounded most likely like an unfair contract. Ben even let himself feel a modicum of hope. However, the second he mentioned who exactly it was that held the contract, their tone changed entirely. They got off the phone as quickly as they could wrap up the conversation. Hux’s reputation was enough that nobody wanted to go up against him. Ben was left holding his phone in his hand, stuck exactly where he had been. He thought briefly about calling someone else, but was sure he would get the same answer no matter who he talked to.

Ben told himself he was going to sit down and do some real thinking about the predicament he was in, come up with an actual plan, but he spent the rest of the day lying on the couch watching bad TV and ordering takeout even though he really couldn’t afford it. He felt like he was floating in a fog of vague panic all day. He was trapped. He couldn’t leave without having his entire life ruined. He thought about texting Rey and asking for advice, but he truly didn’t know what to say to her, so he ended up not texting.

He had the brief, depressing thought of calling his mom and asking her for help, but immediately shuddered and discarded that idea. With his luck, she would completely overreact and tell him she was getting on a plane immediately, show up, bulldoze the situation and make everything worse. He had the brief thought of his mother and Hux in the same room, and nearly combusted. He didn’t want to entertain that train of thought any longer.

The next morning found Ben standing in his bathroom and examining himself in the mirror. He supposed he had to go to work, but he didn’t know what he was going to do about his face. He usually got in before anyone else on his floor, so maybe he could just hide out in Hux’s office all day and hope nobody needed him in a meeting.

He was interrupted by his phone ringing from the other room. He ran in and answered, expecting Hux. “Hello?”

“Organa, I hear you’re sick.” It was Phasma. Ben was surprised, both by what she said and the fact that she was calling. Ever since Hux took him under his wing, he almost exclusively did work for him rather than the other partners.

Ben blinked. _Sick?_ “Oh, um. Did Hux tell you that?”

“It doesn’t really matter, Organa. I’m going to be in court on Wednesday and I need the physical case files collated and organized like the digital files. I’ve sent you an email with all the instructions, and I’ve had the file boxes sent to your apartment by courier. Even if you’re sick, you can still make yourself useful.” Phasma breezed through her instructions, sounding like she was in a gym, even though it was only six in the morning. She must be inhuman.

Ben hesitated. Had Hux called her and just told her she could have him for the day? He wasn’t sure exactly why that felt bad. Maybe because he was being pawned off on someone else like spare parts.

“Well?” Phasma demanded, interrupting his train of thought.

“Yes, of course, ma’am. I can do that.” Ben agreed hurriedly.

“Good. I’ll be by to pick them up later.” Phasma said, and hung up the phone.

Twenty minutes later, Ben had to buzz up a courier who rolled in three loads of file boxes on a box cart. Ben groaned at the sight of them, but supposed that having to stay in his apartment would solve the problem of other people seeing his injured face.

Ben got to work, half-expecting to get a call from Hux wondering where the hell he was, but it was radio silence. Ben had to assume Hux had approved this little side venture. Ben thought about texting him and asking, but to be honest, the prospect of being away from Hux for a little while was a welcome one.

Ben was only at work for an hour and a half before he was distracted by a letter being slid underneath his door. Ben picked it up and slid it open, reading the short notice with a sinking stomach.

It was from the building’s landlord, informing him that because of the construction of a luxury high-rise across the street, Ben’s rent would be doubled at the end of the month. Doubled. Ben stared at the new figure with frank shock. He could barely pay his rent now. He didn’t know what he was going to do.

He got back to work with significantly less enthusiasm than before. He kept working diligently, but by five o’clock, he’d only gotten two-thirds of the work done. He was slowed down by his preoccupation with his rent issue. He’d been mulling it over all day, and thought it was finally time to bend to circumstances and find a new place to live. He had never been quite able to pay for this place, but he’d wanted a nice place to go along with his nice job in a way that now felt like a bit of hubris that he couldn’t afford. His first thought was moving back in with Rey, although given their recent disagreements, he didn’t relish asking.

Instead of working like he should, Ben spent a little time doing some research on other apartments, and found that he couldn’t really afford anything that was available. The only things even somewhat affordable were out in the suburbs, and that would mean he would have a two-hour commute, and he’d probably have to buy a car, which he also couldn’t afford, let alone the prospect of having to find parking in the heart of the city every day for work. Ben groaned, the entire situation seeming impossible, everything piling up on him all at once. He really wished he could have a single week where nothing went wrong.

Ben eventually decided to swallow his pride and go over to Rey’s and ask her if she was willing to let him move back in with her, Finn and Poe. He used to live with them when he first moved out here, although things had changed between them quite drastically since then. He got dressed and packed up, ready to leave the apartment.

He was so absorbed with worry that he forgot two important things: his promise to Hux to stay home, and the fact that Phasma was coming over to pick up the boxes for work.

By the time Ben made it to Rey’s apartment, he had run through what he was going to say half a dozen times. He didn’t know why he was so nervous about it, it wasn’t as if Rey was the type to kick him out on the street or anything, but he hoped this could be an opportunity to repair their friendship which was rapidly falling away from him.

Ben knew something was wrong when he got to the door and saw a pile of discarded party things ready to be taken down to the trash. They’d had a party? And he hadn’t known anything about it?

On Ben’s third knock, Finn opened the door, his face rearranging into blank disapproval when he saw him. “Uh, think you got the date wrong, pal.”

Ben frowned in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“The party was last night. It’s over. You missed it.” Finn said.

“What party? What happened?” Ben tried to peek around Finn into the apartment, but couldn’t see anything.

Finn paused, as if judging whether or not Ben really didn’t know what he was talking about. “You know she was really hurt when you didn’t show up, right? She disappeared into the bathroom for an hour, and I’m pretty sure she was crying. Nice way for a best friend to send her off.”

Ben scrambled for words for a moment. “Finn. I have no idea what you’re talking about. I didn’t even know there _was_ a party. For what?”

“I know you’ve been busy with those rich fucks you work for, but Rey is supposed to be your friend, man. And I care about her, and I don’t like seeing you treat her this way.” Finn said, and Ben could see now he was angry. More than angry.

He was saved from having to respond to that by Rey’s voice from inside. “Finn. It’s fine. Let him in. I’ll talk to him.”

Finn gave him one more distrustful look and stepped aside so Ben could enter. Ben hoped the little shoulder shove was an accident.

Once he got into the apartment, his confusion only deepened. It was obvious there had been quite a party here last night. Empty bottles and cans littered every surface, and there was still some tinsel strewn on the curtain rods. The furniture had been pushed to the walls to make more room in the center. Poe was walking through the living room picking up the trash. He didn’t greet Ben.

Ben followed Rey’s voice to find her in the kitchen at the sink, washing a stack of dirty plates. She turned around to meet him. She wasn’t smiling.

“Hi, Ben,” she said.

Ben didn’t quite know what to say. “Looks like you had quite the party here last night.”

Rey narrowed her eyes. “Is that a joke?”

Ben blinked, taken aback by her anger. “No. I don’t… I think I’m missing something here, Rey. What’s going on?”

“Well, you decided to show up a day late, which I guess is all I can expect from you nowadays. I really wanted you to come, Ben! But I guess you were too busy _working_.” Rey crossed her arms and leaned back against the sink. Her tone was biting, but it was obvious to Ben that serious hurt was underlying what she was saying. She seemed like she might start crying.

Ben was absolutely lost. “Okay. I… Rey. I didn’t know you were having a party. What was the occasion?”

A hurt line appeared down Rey’s forehead. “So you didn’t even bother to listen to any of my messages either. Wow. That’s low, Ben. I got on the fencing team. That audition I was telling you about. They’re really prestigious. They travel all over Europe, and I got in. There’s a three-month tour, and I leave next week.”

Ben was absolutely flabbergasted. He had no idea about any of this. “Rey, I, uh… That’s really great news! That’s amazing! I’m so happy for you.”

“Yeah, it’s fucking great news. I never thought I was going to get in, and I’ve been training and worrying about this for weeks, but we never talk anymore, so I haven’t even been able to tell you about it. I was really excited about this party, because I wanted to share it with everybody.” Rey said, voice cutting.

“I would have come if I’d known.” Ben said, starting to feel a little attacked for no reason. How was he supposed to know about any of this?

Rey scoffed, uncharacteristic anger on her face. “Are you fucking kidding me? I called you like twenty times when I found out! You were the first person I wanted to tell! You didn’t answer!”

“What? When?” Ben asked, only getting more and more confused.

“Two nights ago! I called you and I texted you a bunch of times, and I invited you to the party I was throwing, and I thought, well, hey, he must be busy, no big deal, he’ll show up tomorrow night. I wanted you to be the first person I told, but it was okay with me if you came to the party, we’d celebrate then, but you didn’t show up. You didn’t even text me back at all! I don’t care how busy you are, how long does it take to answer a text? Two seconds?” Rey had her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

Ben blinked in confusion. None of this was clarifying anything for him. He fished his phone out of his pocket, scrolled through his messages. The last thing he’d gotten from Rey was a text four days ago. “Rey, I didn’t get anything. I don’t have any texts or calls. There’s nothing here.”

“Oh, come on! I might have believed your phone ate a text or two, but I called you like a million times, and I sent you so many texts! If you don’t want to spend time with me, I wish you’d just tell me.” She said, her voice rising.

Ben forgot about what his phone did or didn’t have on it. He looked back at her. “That’s not true! You’re my friend, of course I want to spend time with you!”

“Really? Every time I have asked you to come hang out for the past month, you’re always busy.” Rey said, obvious that she was trying her best to push back tears.

“I am busy!” Ben almost shouted, feeling like he had to defend himself.

“All the time? Every day of the week? Your excuse is always that you have to work. You’re always busy at this stupid job you can’t stop complaining about every time I see you. I understand being busy, Ben. I understand not having as much time to hang out as you used to. That’s fine. That’s not your fault. But this team is a really big deal for me, and I needed my friend to tell me he was happy for me! I didn’t know that was such a big ask.” Rey snapped, staying as far away from Ben as she could.

“It’s not. I would have…”

“If what? What were you doing that was so important you couldn’t answer the phone?” Rey threw out.

Ben faltered. In the heat of their argument, he’d temporarily forgotten about the entire predicament with Hux. “I was…” _I was being bent over and fucked? I was being assaulted and blackmailed?_ “I was… with Hux.”

Rey huffed and raised her eyebrows angrily. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.”

“Rey, it’s not…” Ben choked on his own words. He felt like he needed to explain the true situation to her. She didn’t know what it was like, so he couldn’t exactly blame her for her anger, but he had no idea how to begin. “You don’t know what he’s like. When he tells me to do something, I can’t just say no. I have to…”

Rey rolled her eyes. “Ben, you need to quit! I don’t know how many times I can give you the same advice. If he’s as bad as you say, you need to quit. There’s a million jobs you could get while you get back on your feet.”

Ben swallowed past a lump in his throat. “I can’t.”

Rey scowled at him. “Well, it’s good to know your prestigious job is more important to you than our friendship. I’m starting to think you don’t even care about me.”

Ben nearly rocked back with the force of that barb. “That’s not true! That’s not true. Of course I care about you.”

Rey sneered, but the acidity of her anger was undercut by the tears gathering in her eyes. “Could have fooled me.”

Ben was starting to feel a definite lump in his throat. When he spoke again, his voice came out croaky. “You don’t know what it’s been like the past month. It’s been…”

Rey interrupted him, wiping tears off her face. “Yeah, I really feel sorry that you have to file a bunch of paperwork or whatever. I can’t have the same argument with you over and over again. Either quit or I don’t want to hear about this anymore.”

Ben’s long-simmering frustration over his powerlessness with Hux boiled over, and he started shouting, even as he spoke knowing he should have just kept his mouth shut. “Yeah, and I’m sorry that apparently the last straw was me finally getting a life outside of you! You’ve always had everything, and the second I get even a little morsel of success, you just have to drag me back down to your level!”

Rey gasped, shocked tears springing to her eyes. “You think you’re better than me? What do you have that’s so great anyway? Don’t think I didn’t notice that busted lip of yours! I was going to ask you about it, but I guess I know what you’re going to say about it! Hux should be happy you’ll do anything for him. I wish I knew what that was like.”

Shame grabbed Ben by the scruff of the neck and threw him into a sudden spiral. “Fuck you.” He spat, black spots dancing before his eyes.

Rey snarled and strode forward, shoving him hard toward the door. “Get out!”

Ben stumbled back into the hallway. Finn and Poe were standing silently at the end near the living room, not wanting to interrupt the argument but wanting to be on hand in case it escalated anymore.

Ben couldn’t help making a rude gesture in their direction. He was crying now too, and he hated it. “I’m going! So glad you guys were having a lot of fun _celebrating_ while I was being…”

His throat closed up, and he stomped towards the door, Rey following close at his heels. She threw the door open and he nearly fell out into the hallway. They were both crying and furious all at the same time.

“I’m glad I’m leaving, so I don’t have to fucking see you for three months! I hope I never see you again!” Rey shouted after him as he fled to the stairs.

He turned back, meaning to shout something else hurtful and awful, get the last word in. All of a sudden, he didn’t want to fight anymore. He felt the brief urge to apologize, but it dissipated on seeing Rey’s red and angry face. Instead of saying anything, he just left.

Ben paced up and down the streets for nearly an hour, upset and frustrated and wishing more than anything he could take back what he’d said to her. He wasn’t even that angry at her, he had just been caught up in the moment, and after weeks of being at Hux’s beck and call, he desperately wanted to get some shots in himself.

He ended up getting on the train and just riding around, not getting off at his stop, just staying, watching the flashing lights pass by his window. He felt worse than he ever had in his whole life. He’d gone over with the intention of telling Rey some of what had been happening to him. He desperately needed her help, needed somebody’s help, but he’d managed to blow that up. Now she didn’t want anything to do with him.

Eventually, his thoughts turned back to the reason for the argument in the first place. He pulled his phone out, looking through his call log and his texts. He didn’t understand what could have happened, why he hadn’t gotten any of the dozens of messages Rey had said she’d sent him two nights ago.

Two nights ago. When he’d been at Hux’s house. When his phone had been in his coat in the hallway. When he’d been asleep for hours. Hours where Hux could have done anything.

Ben felt a sick, slimy sensation in his stomach, as the full ramifications of what he was thinking hit him. Could Hux have deleted the calls and texts off his phone before he’d left the next morning? Why? Why would he have done that?

Ben felt like a fist was grasping his lungs and squeezing. If that was true… If Hux had really done that…

Ben sat in blank thought for a while before he found himself picking up his phone and dialing a number. His circle of friends was shrinking rapidly, and he was starting to feel like a polar bear on a melting ice cap.

His mom picked up on the sixth ring. “Hey, sweetheart. Surprised to hear from you. What’s up?”

Ben’s throat closed up upon hearing her voice. He thought he might start crying again, and he wouldn’t let himself do that in front of his mom. He hadn’t cried in front of his parents in years, and he wanted to keep it that way. He suddenly had no idea what he was going to say, how he was going to explain the terrible trouble he was in.

“Ben?” Leia asked, voice turning sharp and worried. “Are you okay?”

Ben pushed himself to answer, unsticking the lump in his throat, forcing himself to sound normal. “Yeah, Mom. I’m fine. I just wanted to hear your voice.”

Leia relaxed. “Oh. Well, we’re doing all right. Your uncle won a dozen pounds of frozen meat at the raffle last week, so we are pretty much eating nothing but raffle meat for the next month. Your dad is attempting to make a roast right now. And I do mean attempting.”

“Hey!” Han’s voice came from far-off, sounding like he was across the room. “It is my job as the man of the house to provide for my wife!”

Leia laughed. “Oh, brother. Distract me from wanting to smack your father, will you? You haven’t called for a while. Is something going on?”

Ben hesitated again, that lump in his throat rising and making it hard to talk. “Yeah, actually, I…” He broke off there, remembering his promise to Hux not to tell anyone what they were doing. What Hux had done to that waiter at the hotel. What Hux might have done to his phone to stop him from spending time with Rey. His parents were halfway across the country, but Hux had already proven he had a long reach when he’d sent Caleb to Los Angeles. He didn’t want to endanger his family with a problem he’d created. He’d made his bed with Hux, now he had to lie in it.

Leia waited patiently for Ben to say something, and Ben was just mulling over what excuse he could give when there was a loud _whoomph_ noise in the background of Leia’s call.

“Honey? Is this thing supposed to be smoking so much?” Han called in the distance.

There was a sharp gasp from Leia. “Ben, I would love to talk to you about whatever is going on, but I need to stop our house from burning down right now. Talk to you later. I love you.”

Leia hung up suddenly, and Ben was left staring at his phone, still not any closer to figuring out what he was going to do.

Eventually, it was late enough that he had to trudge back up to his apartment. When he got there, his door was unlocked. Ben walked in, worried about a robbery. He was usually so good at remembering to lock up. There was a note from his landlord on the front table, telling him he’d let someone called Phasma into his apartment because she’d told him Ben had sensitive documents in his apartment she was trying to get back. His landlord warned him that if something like this happened again, eviction was a possibility.

His stomach near the floor, Ben wandered into the living room to see all the boxes Phasma had sent over were now gone. Now that his mind was somewhat circling back to work, he remembered that he hadn’t even finished everything he was supposed to do. He had only been about two-thirds done when he’d decided to charge out of the apartment.

It was dark in his apartment, but he didn’t bother to turn on any lights. He was exhausted, emotionally and physically. He didn’t have it in him to worry about his argument with Rey or what Hux’s reaction was going to be to all of this. Right now, all he wanted to do was fall asleep and stay that way.

Heartsick, tired, and sore, Ben curled up in bed and fell asleep, wishing miserably he had someone to talk to.

* * *

The next morning, he woke up five minutes before his alarm. He lay with half his face squashed into his pillow, watching with steadily mounting dread as it got later and later. At six thirty, he finally managed to rouse himself out of bed, stumbling into the bathroom and taking a scalding shower, spending most of that time with his forehead pressed against the cool tile. He felt sick, and there was a second or two when he stepped out where he thought he might throw up. He gripped the corner of the sink and fought it back grimly.

It was 7:05 by the time he started getting dressed. He pulled on black jeans and a shirt, messily knotting his tie, the entire time wishing there would be an earth-shattering earthquake, or if he was likely, he would suddenly drop dead. He felt horrible, and despite the fact that he was so late, he couldn’t seem to stop dragging his feet.

Ben made it as far as putting his coat on, and then he stood in the threshold of his front door with his keys in hand, staring down at his phone. It was silent. He couldn’t believe Hux didn’t know what had happened by now, and he thought he would have gotten a call already. An eight o’clock appointment to skin him alive, maybe.

He was still standing there at 7:30, and with dread bleeding acid into his stomach, he took a deep breath and called Hux. He put the phone to his ear and braced himself to be torn a new one.

It rang twice, and then cut off. He got Hux’s curt voicemail message. If possible, Ben’s stomach sank even more. Hux had seen his call, had sent him to voicemail anyway. He was in big trouble.

With a nearly superhuman effort, Ben forced himself to leave the house. On the sadly too-short subway ride to work, Ben tried calling Hux two more times. The first time he was sent to voicemail after one ring. The second time he was sent there immediately. Ben very seriously considered jumping in front of a moving train.

By the time he got off at his stop, his anxiety had gotten so bad that he was having a hard time breathing. He stopped half a block away from work, staring in blank dread at the rotating door inside. He could just glimpse the reception desk and the huge monitors displaying directory information. He made himself walk, but he felt like he was wading through hardening concrete.

He made it two steps inside and then lost his nerve again. Sam Dawson, the only person he could reasonably call a work friend, was walking to the elevators when he caught sight of Ben. He smiled and waved. Ben blanched, turned around, and walked back outside. He started walking blindly, not knowing where he was going, but just filled with the blind need to leave.

He cringed when he heard footsteps hurrying behind him. “Woah, hey, Ben! Hold up! What’s going on?”

Ben stopped and turned around. It was a windy, cold morning, and it seemed to Ben that nature was doing its best to make him look even worse than he felt. He kept having to brush his hair away from his face.

Sam jogged up, still holding his laptop and a pile of files under one arm. “Hey, where are you going? You missed the meeting this morning.”

Ben blinked and laughed humorlessly. “To fucking Siberia or something. I don’t know.”

Sam took a closer look at him, expression turning concerned. He could see something was wrong. His eyes lingered over Ben’s split lip, which was mostly healed by now, but scant evidence still existed. “Did something happen? You don’t look so good, man.”

Frenzied words gathered behind Ben’s mouth, fighting to get out. For a brief moment, he was sorely tempted to just tell Sam anything. For God’s sake, he had to tell _someone_. However, his common sense reasserted itself and he remembered Hux’s threat. He liked Sam, he didn’t want anything bad to happen because of him. He’d lost enough friends and acquaintances to Hux already.

“I… I fucked something up, and I’m pretty sure Hux is going to kill me.” Ben admitted. He figured saying that much was probably safe enough.

Sam’s face contorted in sympathy, although if he knew the whole story, he probably wouldn’t have looked so calm. “Oh, wow. I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes.” He said sympathetically.

Ben huffed half-hysterically. “You don’t know the half of it.”

Sam thought for a moment, trying to figure out the best thing to say. “Well, if I can maybe give you some advice? I think maybe with someone like Hux, it’s best to just get up there and get it over with. I think if you put it off any longer, you’ll just piss him off even more.”

Ben bit his lip. Sam had a point. “Yeah…” He trailed off.

Sam hesitated, seeing that Ben was still freaked out. “Hey, look at it this way. I think if I pissed off Phasma, she would unhinge her jaw and eat me alive. Hux will probably just send you to the shadow realm with a look. Being digested hurts more.”

Ben laughed, caught off-guard. That didn’t exactly make him feel better, but something about the absurdity of the statement broke him out of his panic spiral. “You’re right. I just… No. You’re right. Okay.”

Sam patted him good-naturedly on the shoulder and walked with him back inside. They rode the elevator up together, and Sam got off on his floor, turning around and giving Ben a good luck thumbs-up before the doors closed again.

Ben’s panic had ebbed when he was with Sam, but now that he was alone in the executive hallway, it all came flowing back, but he knew Sam was probably right. The longer he avoided Hux, the worse this was going to be.

Ben walked past his desk and halted in front of the door to Hux’s office. He could hear voices inside, and recognized one as Phasma’s.

“Do they know anything about him yet?” Phasma’s voice was tinny but still audible.

“Not yet.” Hux replied. “They’re coming into town for a week, so I suppose I’ll… tell them then.”

“You shouldn’t wait too much longer.” Phasma admonished lightly, like a friend to a friend. This was such an unexpected tone to be hearing out of her. “If you’re serious about this, we need to get things going.”

“I am serious, it’s only… well, you’ve met them.” Hux said, and Ben was shocked to hear a note of reluctance in his voice. He wouldn’t have thought Hux was capable of that strain of emotion. He was someone who always got what he wanted, at least he thought.

“I have, but I-” Phasma continued talking, but Ben decided enough was enough. He just had to go for it. Maybe he would be lucky, and Hux would be in a forgiving mood.

Ben knocked quickly and entered the room. Phasma was sitting on the leather couch, arms spread against the backrest, perfectly at ease. Hux was standing across from her, hands resting on the back of a chair. They both looked up when he walked in, and any illusion of leniency or good moods blew away immediately. They both looked cold, stern, and definitely not happy to see him. Ben quailed, but tried to draw from some of the courage that Sam had given him before they parted ways.

“I’m sorry I’m late.” Ben said, settling on the most innocuous thing to say. His heart thudded heavy in his chest, but he was counting on the fact that there was a witness here to mean that Hux couldn’t do anything too awful to him. He hoped.

Hux watched him coolly, expression cold and uninviting, but he didn’t say anything. Phasma actually was the one who spoke up first. “Did you get your watch fixed?”

Ben, completely caught off guard, blinked at her. “W-what?”

Phasma was grinning, but not nicely. “Well, since I showed up at your place last night expecting to see a stack of organized files and you weren’t _there_ … I thought I would be generous and assume that your watch was broken. Maybe you thought it was still early.”

Ben flicked his eyes nervously at Hux when Phasma mentioned him not being home, but Hux didn’t react visibly. Ben supposed it was too much to hope for that Hux wouldn’t have found out that he’d disobeyed him. Again.

“I’m sorry I didn’t-”

Phasma interrupted him. “You don’t have to be sorry. It’s not your fault your watch broke. Unless you dropped it in water. That’s just negligent.”

“No, it wasn’t-”

“No, you didn’t get it wet? What happened then? Did you drop it on the floor? Cook it in the microwave? Hux, did I ever tell you about my cousin who nearly burned his whole house down trying to microwave some leftovers in foil? To hear him talk, that was the first he’d heard of that being dangerous.”

Hux smiled thinly at Phasma’s rapport, but still stayed silent. It seemed he was content to watch Phasma skewer Ben all on her own.

Phasma turned back to Ben, eyes alight. She was on a roll. She leaned forward, folding her hands between her wide legs. “You didn’t do something like that, did you, Organa?”

Ben felt like he was holding onto a rapidly unraveling piece of rope. He was completely knocked on his left foot, couldn’t seem to get a hold of this conversation again, if he’d ever had it. “No, it wasn’t-”

Phasma frowned quizzically in a deliberately mocking manner. “Then how _did_ you manage to break your watch?”

“My watch isn’t broken!” Ben said hastily, a little too close to yelling for comfort, but it was the only way to get a word in edgewise.

“No? Then why weren’t you ready to go when I arrived?” Phasma asked, closing in for the kill. If this was how she cross-examined witnesses in the courtroom, Ben felt sorry for those on the other side of the table from her.

“I had to go see a friend!” Ben exclaimed. If he had been given any time to think about it, he might have come up with a lie, some kind of plausible excuse he could hopefully pass off, but Phasma hadn’t given him any room to breathe or think.

“Before you finished the task I assigned for you? I’m in court tomorrow. This was time-sensitive, and I was relying on your professionalism. I guess that was too much to hope for. I have to say, I was expecting a little more out of you, given the fact that you’re Hux’s new pet project.” Phasma’s fake jocularity had disappeared as quick as it had come, and Ben could see now that she was really irritated.

He swallowed nervously. He felt a nervous little twinge in his stomach on hearing himself called Hux’s project, even more at the fact that he’d disappointed them. “It was really important.” He said, ostensibly speaking to Phasma, but looking at Hux. He wished Hux would respond somehow, say something. He wondered how he could phrase this so that Hux knew what he was apologizing for, without letting Phasma know what they had been doing together.

“Really? How so?” Phasma demanded.

“I had to go get… My rent just doubled, and I had to see if my friend would be okay with me moving in.” Ben said in a nervous rush. That wasn’t what their conversation had ultimately been about, but it _had_ been why he’d left in the first place.

He hadn’t really been expecting a rush of sympathy or anything like that, but the remarkable lack of reaction from both Hux and Phasma only hammered home how different they were. It wasn’t his fault, but Ben felt an intense rush of embarrassment at having to admit something like that to the people he worked for.

“And that couldn’t have waited an hour or two until after you finished what you’re being paid for?” Phasma asked coldly.

“I… guess…” Ben said, the lump in his throat making it hard to talk.

“And a phone call wouldn’t have sufficed? You just _had_ to leave?” Phasma pushed.

Ben sent a panicked look at the stone-cold Hux, who he was sure had the same question. “I just thought…” He trailed off, unable to come up with a good enough excuse. His distress from the night before and the confusion from this conversation was combining to make it very difficult to think.

Phasma waited with a cruel smile on her face for him to finish, and when it became obvious that he didn’t have anything in him, she nodded and turned back to Hux. “Well, I sure as hell hope that he’s good in other areas, because so far, I’m not seeing what the big fuss is.”

Panic twisted in Ben’s gut. Did she know? Had Hux told her? Surely not, given how much Hux had stressed that Ben couldn’t tell anybody. Maybe this was just how Phasma talked, and it didn’t mean anything.

“Maybe you’d like him.” Hux finally broke his silence. He was still standing with one hand resting on the chair in front of him, and he hardly looked at Ben.

Ben startled. _What?_

Phasma flicked her eyes from Hux back to Ben. “Oh, I don’t know… He hasn’t really blown me away so far, Hux.”

Hux spoke casually, unconcerned. “Well, that’s something he could work on. And I know you enjoy administering discipline.”

Ben was speechless, but when Phasma stood up suddenly and stalked toward him, he startled and stepped back. He turned to Hux a little desperately. “ _Sir_ , I…”

Phasma started pacing around him, examining him from head to toe with a bright, hungry expression. “I do, but I’m not convinced he would be much fun… You haven’t broken him in too badly yet?”

Ben felt cold from head to toe. He didn’t know what exactly they were talking about, if this was still about work at all or if Phasma was in on all of this. She must be. “ _Hux_ ,” he nearly squeaked, feeling trapped by Phasma’s circling.

Hux ignored him entirely, and Ben tried to pretend that that didn’t feel horrible. “Oh, I’d say he has quite a lot to learn yet. For some reason, he thinks the rules don’t apply to him. And I know how much you hate that.”

“Oh, I _do_.” Phasma said with barely restrained glee. She stepped forward unexpectedly and grabbed Ben’s chin, yanking his head up so she could see him better. Ben yelped in surprise, and instinctively tried to fight her off. Like it was nothing, she shot a hand out and stopped his fist with one of her hands. He tried to wiggle out of her grip, but she only held on tighter.

“Let me go.” Ben said a bit desperately, his words coming out a little garbled.

Phasma ignored him, just continued talking to Hux. “Looks to me like you’ve already marked him up.”

Ben’s stomach dropped when he realized she was looking at his split lip. Was it that obvious, or had Hux told her something? He was grimly focused on just bearing this uncomfortable contact until Phasma reached up with her other hand and tried to run her thumb over the wound.

Ben stiffened violently and renewed his struggling. He had to leave. Now. Coming here had been a bad idea.

“Ben, settle down!” Hux snapped angrily.

Shocked at his tone, Ben stilled immediately, wide-eyed at the blistering anger he’d heard in Hux’s voice.

“He listens, eventually, but sometimes he needs a little encouragement.” Hux noted drily.

Phasma smiled her cruel little smile, and Ben’s panic started to morph into pure dread. He didn’t know how this was happening to him, here at work, in the middle of the day, with his coworkers somewhere down the hall. He felt like he was caught in a nightmare. He didn’t know what was going to happen to him. Was Hux really thinking of pawning him off on Phasma? What exactly did that mean? Was this just meant to freak him out, or would Hux really expect him to have sex with Phasma? The worst part of it was that he didn’t know, if Hux ordered him to, whether he would or not.

Phasma, no stranger to fine dining, let the moment sit. Ben was putting some serious thought into screaming. Maybe being publicly humiliated wouldn’t be as bad as whatever Phasma was planning.

Eventually, to Ben’s unutterable relief, Phasma let him go and stepped back. Ben’s legs were a little unsteady, so he stumbled a few feet back and leaned against the wall. He looked wide-eyed at the both of them.

“No, I think I’ll leave you to it. I’m not one for leftovers,” Phasma curled her lip with a sneer.

Hux and Phasma continued talking to each other for a few moments, but the blood was rushing through Ben’s ears so badly he didn’t hear it. The fact that someone else knew about him and Hux was horrifying, deathly humiliating. Given Hux’s insistence on _him_ not telling anybody, Ben didn’t think that it would feel this bad. He thought it had something to do with the fact that he felt like Hux and Phasma were up on a pedestal and he was staring up at them. Something about an outside perspective reminded him of the exact nature of his arrangement with Hux. Hux was the hunter. He was the meat.

Vaguely, Ben recognized that Phasma was leaving the room. Hux finally moved from his position and walked a few paces closer to Ben, stopping with an unimpressed look on his face.

“I am getting tired of having the same conversation with you over and over again.” Hux frowned. “I’m beginning to think more drastic measures might be necessary to keep you in line.”

Ben fought very hard to get his thoughts back into a comprehensible line. “You could just fire me.” He said quietly, a tad hopefully.

Hux mouth turned into a thin line, and Ben wished that didn’t work on him, that Hux’s approval wasn’t something that he longed for to a fairly unhealthy extent. “And do you want me to do that?” Hux asked.

After a moment, Ben looked down at the ground.

“That’s what I thought,” Hux said silkily.

Ben took a deep breath and decided the only thing for it was to throw himself on Hux’s mercy. “What I said about my rent, that was true. I don’t know what I’m going to do.” He paused before saying the next thing. “I had a fight with my friend, and I don’t think she’ll let me stay.”

Ben studied Hux’s face very carefully. He still thought it might be a little paranoid to think that Hux had deleted those messages off his phone. So far, Hux had been… intense, a little uncaring of his boundaries. He’d scared the hell out of him the other night, and Ben was under no illusions about how controlling Hux was turning out to be, how dangerous he could be; but something like this would be crossing a pretty significant line in the sand. His rational mind tried to point out to him that Hux had already done something like this when he’d sent Caleb away, but this felt different. He hadn’t known Caleb for very long, but Rey was his good friend. If Hux had really engineered that horrible argument between them… Something like that wouldn’t just be controlling behavior, casual cruelty, but rather something much worse.

Somewhere deep down, he knew it was probably true. The simplest explanation was most often the correct one. Hux had already demonstrated cruelty towards Ben. It would only make sense. Ben didn’t want to believe it was true, because if it was… he was as trapped as he was now, but with someone who didn’t have any redeeming qualities. He wanted to believe Hux hadn’t done it to protect himself from absolute panic at being trapped in this relationship.

To Ben’s eternal irritation, Hux didn’t give anything away. “And, in your mind, how exactly is that my problem?”

The anger that Ben knew wasn’t wise overtook him. He’d had the worst day yesterday, and Hux had done nothing but jerk him around for weeks now. “Because all I do all week long is whatever you want without complaint. I bust my ass for you, Hux, and all I want in return is enough to live on. I don’t know how that’s too much to ask.” He snapped.

Hux’s expression darkened. “Let me get this straight. You disobey my instructions, you don’t finish the work that Phasma assigned you, you show up to work late and looking like you just woke up, and you have the audacity to ask for a _raise_?”

Some of Ben’s desperation was enough to temporarily push aside his shame and uneasiness around Hux. His life was crumbling, and like it or not, Hux was the only one with the ability right now to keep it together. “You said you wanted me completely focused on you, sir. I don’t think I can do that if I don’t have a place to live. I’m sorry that I didn’t do what you said, but I panicked. I didn’t know what to do. If you like me at all, if I’m anything to you beyond someone to fuck, then please just take pity on me just this once. _Please_. I need it.”

And there it was. Out in the open. Their tangled, messy relationship broken down into its bare essentials. Ben gave and gave and gave. Hux took. This was the only card that Ben had to play, the vain hope that Hux held any affection for him beyond a kind of plaything, that Hux would look past his misbehavior, that he would treat him like a human being for once.

Hux didn’t say anything for a long time. He watched Ben and calculated whatever complicated thoughts he had in his cold mind. Ben knew he was running the risk of finally being kicked out of Hux’s life, or of Hux coming up with some horrible kind of punishment, that Ben would still be in the same predicament he had been in before, but this time apartment-less and friendless.

“I don’t like to be forced into things.” Hux said neutrally. Ben hoped this meant he was thinking it over, that he still had a chance to convince him.

“I’m not trying to force your hand or anything, sir. I’m really just… I’m begging you. I don’t have an ulterior motive, I just… I can’t concentrate on all _this_ when everything else in my life is falling down around my ears.” Ben pleaded.

Hux sighed and adjusted his shirt cuffs. He looked out the window for the moment. “Let me put it this way. I don’t do things for free. What exactly are you going to do for me if I help you with this?”

Ben bit back on his automatic reply, that if what he’d done already wasn’t enough, he didn’t know what else he could give. That wasn’t going to convince Hux. “Whatever you want.”

Hux gave him a dark look. “I already have that.”

Ben felt frustration clawing at his throat, and tried to keep that in check. “I’ll stop arguing with you. I’ll stop fighting you. I’ll just… I’ll listen.”

“Mm. Well, I’m going to need a lot more contrition then.” Hux said.

“What?” Ben asked, heart leaping. Was Hux actually agreeing to help him?

Hux sneered lightly. “I want you to beg. Properly.”

Heat rushed through Ben’s entire body. He fucking _hated_ this, he hated that Hux could just sneer and speak in that low voice and Ben’s entire sense of self-respect threw itself out the window. He didn’t _want_ to comply, he didn’t want to like being spoken to in that way, but there was nothing for it.

He sucked in a hitching breath, could practically feel his pupils dilating. “H-how do you want me to beg?” He said, hating the little breathless thrill in his voice.

Hux hardened his gaze. “Oh, you can’t expect me to do _all_ the work, Organa. I want you to take some initiative. I expect you’re intelligent enough to come up with something on your own.”

Ben was going to kill him. It was as simple as that. He hated this conceited asshole, but even more he hated that this was working on him.

He blinked, bit his lip. Sank slowly down to his knees. He watched Hux’s eyes slide down, following his progress.

“Well, now. That’s a good start.” Hux smirked.

Ben wondered if it was possible for someone to die of embarrassment. He began to crawl towards Hux, absolutely unsure if this was acceptable or not. He realized the door wasn’t locked, and began to worry about someone walking in and seeing this.

He stopped right before Hux and looked up at him, only managing to feel disheveled and inadequate next to him. He looked up at Hux’s pleased, dark expression and started to seriously wonder if Hux had deleted those messages. Would he do that? Just to make Ben more dependent on him? Ben had to admit to himself that the answer was yes.

Ben widened his eyes and tilted his head down so he was looking up at Hux through his eyelashes. He didn’t really have a lot of experience with this, but thought that Hux would like this. From Hux’s slight intake of breath, he thought he was right.

“Hux…” Ben began haltingly. “Sir. I need your help.”

“What are you going to do to get it?” Hux nearly purred.

“I’ll…” Ben sucked in a sudden breath as Hux ground his heel into the back of his hand. Tears of pain jumped to his eyes and he blinked them away. “I’ll do anything.”

Hux raised a skeptical eyebrow. It was obvious how much he was enjoying this. “Anything?”

Ben’s heart pounded, and he swallowed around a dry throat, nightmare images flashing through his mind, what Hux would ask of him to come due. “…Yes,” he whispered, regretting this already.

Hux increased the pressure on his hand, and Ben yelped in pain, feeling his bones grind together. He fell forward and fought back tears.

Ben tried to think past the blinding pain. He reached up with his free hand and fisted it in Hux’s shirt. “P-please…” He stuttered, hating that he had to do this, hating that he had come in here righteously angry but still ended up here, hating that Hux could so easily reduce him to this state.

Hux let him wait, foot pressing down into his hand, until Ben was writhing and whimpering from the pain, half-heartedly pulling at his hand to get it out of Hux’s grip.

Finally, Hux spoke. His voice came to Ben through a distracting miasma of pain. “Alright. I think I’m willing to let you off the hook. But you need to do something for me.”

“Wh-what?” Ben asked, gritting his teeth, expecting for Hux to unzip his pants and push Ben’s head down onto him, and willing to do it, anything to get away from this pain.

“I want you to come to a party next week.” Hux said casually.

“A… a party?” Ben said a little breathlessly, looking up at Hux in confusion. This didn’t seem to make any sense right now, and didn’t seem to be an appropriate price for him to pay, but he would agree to anything right now.

“Yes.” Hux smiled.

“Fine. Fine!” Ben yelped, starbursts of pain radiating out from his hand and all the way up his arm. “Please let me go, sir. You’re hurting me, please.”

With one smooth motion, Hux stepped off of Ben’s hands and walked over to his desk, checking something on his computer.

Ben gasped and shuddered, curling up on the ground over his throbbing hand. It took him a few minutes to be able to think about anything over the blinding pain. Eventually, he carefully tested out his fingers, and was relieved that he could still bend them, although it brought him great pain.

“I would suggest putting some ice on that.” Hux said off-hand, most of his attention on his computer.

Ben sat up, feeling shaky and feverish. He cradled his hand against his chest. “Um, wh-what about… what I asked you for?”

Hux looked at him, and Ben really hoped he was imagining the contempt he saw. “Clean yourself up. You’re a mess. You can go home and change if you need to, but I want you back to work this afternoon.”

“But…”

Hux speared him with a look. “You trust me, don’t you?”

There was a very weighted silence in the office. They were both waiting on Ben’s response. A lot seemed to rest on this. Ben saw Rey’s hurt, tear-streaked face as she screamed at him and kicked him out of her apartment. “Of course.” He said, trying to keep his face as blank as possible.

Hux judged his sincerity for a moment and then turned back to the computer. “Then get going. I’ll take care of everything.”

Ben struggled to his feet and limped out of Hux’s office. He followed instructions, sneaking out of the building by the back stairwell so that nobody would see him. He went home, changed into more appropriate work clothes and brushed his hair back. He sat in his kitchen for a half hour, blankly staring out the window while he iced his hand. It still hurt, but the pain was beginning to be manageable. He wrapped it in a strip of gauze just to be safe before he left again.

When he made it back into the office, Hux was gone somewhere. Ben slid behind his own desk and desultorily checked his email. He had quite a few messages waiting, but there was one that Ben zeroed in on. It was a forwarded message from Hux, timestamped around the time Ben had been in his office.

It was a notice among the partners about an upcoming job opening, a promotion available for the paralegals. It would essentially be a pay bump, a chance to advance in the firm, a real opportunity. This was the kind of thing that Ben had been waiting for. His heart leapt as he read the details. Is this what Hux had in mind? Was he going to promote Ben to this position? Trying to divine Hux’s true intentions was as difficult as wading through a mine field, but it certainly seemed to Ben that this is what the email was meant to tell him. This kind of thing would solve all his problems.

Still heartsick from his argument with Rey, worried about his rent trouble, and sore from Hux’s treatment, Ben felt a tiny ray of hope. Maybe Hux really did care about him. Maybe he really was softening. This promotion could make his life a whole lot easier, and to Ben’s mind, going to a party seemed like more than a fair price to pay for ease of mind. It seemed to him that Hux had let him off pretty easily this time. He could only hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, it really is too bad Ben doesn't have anyone in his life except for Hux now!
> 
> Okay, I've been posting a lot recently, but I'm going to be a bit busy here soon, so I think the next chapter won't be out for another 2 weeks. But it'll be a big one to reward you for the wait! New characters and the promised party :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm probably going to stop warning on individual chapters, but if you are at all on the fence about this story, now is the time to stop reading. This chapter is rough for Ben. I don't want to spoil anything here, so story tags are updated. If you're at all worried, check them.

Ben was a little more subdued the following week. Some of the full weight of the situation he was in was just finally beginning to sink in. Hux had decided to scoop him out of the fire this time, but Ben couldn’t always count on that, especially if he continued to antagonize him like he had been. As much as he didn’t like it, he needed Hux.

So he showed up to work, on time, did what he was supposed to do when he was supposed to do it. Spoke when spoken to, and went home to his empty apartment at night, exhausted.

Twice that week, Hux brought him home with him at the end of the day. Ben came with no complaints, intent on staying on Hux’s good side at least long enough to get this promotion. Then maybe, just maybe, he could start thinking about how he was going to get out of this predicament. He just needed a sliver of power, a tiny bit of an advantage over Hux, who up until now held all the cards.

The first time Hux brought Ben home, he ordered him to undress and get on all fours on the bed, then climbed up behind him and fucked him hard until he was gasping and falling forward onto his elbows, having a hard time keeping himself upright.

While he lay in bed afterwards, head spinning, Ben mused on the fact that he still hadn’t really seen Hux with his clothes off. Not really. Whenever they had sex, it was always very one-sided, transactional. It never felt mutual, but more like something Hux was _doing_ to Ben. If he was being honest with himself, it didn’t feel great. Ben considered briefly bringing this up with Hux before he lost the battle with tiredness and fell asleep.

The second time Hux brought him home, Ben thought about it on the way over, how he could possibly broach the subject without sounding unbearably pathetic. He didn’t have a great record when it came to convincing Hux to do anything. He was going to ask if Hux would be at all willing to reciprocate, just enough so that Ben could at least pretend that he was an equal participant in this arrangement. The longer it went on, the more used he felt.

He’d been psyching himself up for the entire drive, but he forgot all about his resolution to speak when they made it into the house, closing the side door behind them and walking into the kitchen. Hux immediately tensed up, and for a second Ben didn’t know why. He followed his sightline to see that there was a light on in his living room already.

“Hux, what-” Ben whispered, but Hux cut him off with sharp look and then disregarded him entirely.

Ben nervously trailed Hux to the living room to see a man already sitting in one of the armchairs, casually reading a book as if he owned the place. He looked about Hux’s age, maybe a little older, with dark-blonde hair and a thin face that was so much like Hux’s.

Ben looked in confusion from the stranger back to Hux, hoping for some kind of a clue as to who this was and how he should react. Hux’s face was pale and tight, but not surprised, and there was a split second where Ben thought he might just go on the attack. Instead, he disappeared his hard expression as fast as it appeared.

“Liam,” Hux said flatly, with none of the usual enthusiasm that came from greeting someone you knew.

The man looked up and an immediate smile grew across his face. He looked similar enough to Hux that the sight of this big smile was very strange to Ben. He stood up with an easy gracefulness. “Armie! Long time.”

_Armie?_ Ben had to hide the burst of shocked laughter that threatened to escape from his mouth. He turned it into a hurried cough, but from Hux’s icy glare he knew he wasn’t successful. Hux looked at this man, an old resentment obvious on his face.

The man, Liam, caught that look, and his smile only widened. Ben had never seen anyone treat Hux with this kind of irreverence before. He would have said that it was dangerous. “No? Armitage, if you didn’t make it so obvious you hated the nickname, I’d stop calling you by it.”

Hux didn’t relax or crack a smile. “What are you doing here? I thought we were all having dinner tomorrow night. We have reservations.”

Liam waved a hand casually as if this wasn’t important. It was amazing how these two men looked so similar but behaved entirely differently. “We are, but you know how stuffy it gets whenever Dad is around. Can’t a man drop in on family?”

“Breaking in is a first,” Hux noted drily.

Liam smiled like he was proud of it. “I like to keep you on your toes. You know that.”

Hux let out a thin smile, but his eyes were still hard. The two men looked at each other with some kind of history that Ben was obviously excluded from. He stood there, feeling incredibly awkward and wishing he could go.

Liam turned his gaze from Hux to Ben. He looked him up and down in a kind of assessing way that was so similar to Hux. “And are you going to introduce me?”

“Of course.” Hux said, sounding for all the world like a gracious host. “This is my brother Liam. Liam, this is… Ben.”

_Brother_. Suddenly everything slotted into place. Ben remembered the photo he’d seen, and Hux’s reluctance to talk about his family history. Obviously there was something between the brothers, but Ben had no idea what.

Liam smiled again and took Ben’s hand in a firm grip. “Ah. The one you’ve been telling us about?”

“The very same,” Hux responded.

Ben was thrown for a loop at the realization that Hux had been telling his _family_ about him. He wouldn’t have guessed at that in a thousand years. He had assumed that he was more of a plaything to Hux rather than the kind of partner you told your family about, and Hux hadn’t done anything so far to prove him wrong. Ben’s thoughts whirled. What had Hux said about him and why had he told them? What did his family think about the fact that he was seeing one of his employees? Moreover, did Hux’s moratorium on telling anyone about their relationship only apply to Ben?

Liam was still holding Ben’s hand in a tight grip, and he was looking at him in a way that frankly made Ben a little uncomfortable. It was too close to Hux’s intense focus for his liking. “Is he coming to the party this weekend?”

“Yes,” Hux answered, standing with his hands in his pockets, body a stiff line.

Liam, still looking at Ben, smiled again. He was always smiling, and the more he did it, rather than make him seem inviting, it just gave off a faintly unpleasant air that Ben couldn’t explain. “Good. The more the merrier.”

Liam and Hux shared a wordless glance in which they seemed to be communicating a great deal of information without saying a word in the way that only siblings could. Hux made a facial expression like he was exhorting Liam to move on to another topic. Ben felt more and more like a third wheel, unable to decipher what exactly was passing between them.

Getting a little tired of being talked over, he extricated his hand from Liam’s. “Right, well, uh. Nice to meet you. I can’t say Hux has told me a lot about you.”

Liam dealt with the rejection well. He grinned. “Yes, Armitage has always been tight-lipped. Shannon and I used to tease him that if he were choking at the dinner table, no one would know about it until he was dead.”

“Shannon? That’s your sister?” Ben said, trying his best to make small talk.

Liam shook his head at Hux in mock exaggeration. “Armitage, haven’t you told this poor boy _anything_?”

Hux was still in the same spot, still looking at his brother with a vague distaste. “Everything in its own time, Liam.”

Liam threw his arm around Ben’s shoulder and started walking him towards the kitchen. Ben jumped in surprise. “Well, I guess it’s just my duty to begin your education tonight, Benny.”

Ben aimed a wide-eyed look back at Hux, who was following behind them. He didn’t know how Hux was going to take someone else touching him. Hux didn’t react, flat-eyed and impenetrable. If Ben was being honest, that hurt a little.

Liam led Ben to the kitchen counter while Hux walked over to a wood cabinet and took out an unopened bottle of red wine.

“Now, unlike my stick of a brother, I’m an open book. You can ask me anything. I’ll air my entire family’s dirty laundry. Your curiosity is my duty to dispel,” Liam said easily.

Ben tried to pull away from Liam, a little uncomfortable with the forced closeness so soon after meeting him, especially in Hux’s presence, but Liam’s grip was steady, and he couldn’t get away without making a big deal about it, which felt… rude.

“Oh, I don’t know… I don’t want to pry,” Ben said, sending a silent cry for help at Hux, who was busy screwing a corkscrew into the wine. He didn’t say anything, not giving him any clue as to how to act.

Liam grinned. “Come on… There must be something that you’re curious about. Please tell me there’s a brain under this cute little mop of yours.”

Liam ruffled his hair, and this time Hux set down the bottle of wine with a decisive clunk on the counter, sending his brother a warning look. Ben took the opportunity to step away, wanting nothing more than to get out of Liam’s suffocating embrace.

Ben stood between Liam and Hux and thought furiously about what would be a safe enough topic to ask about. Obviously, Liam wasn’t the type to take no for an answer, but he didn’t want to ask anything too personal that would have Hux angry at him later.

“I guess… Where did you guys grow up?” Ben asked timidly.

Liam rolled his eyes for a moment, and Ben was reminded of how he was never very good at games like these. There seemed to be a delicate balance between asking something racy enough to be suggestive, and just asking something boring. He always fell on the wrong side of this line.

“Well, now I see why you two get along,” Liam said, waving a finger between the two of them. “You’re as dull as my dear brother.”

Ben laughed uncomfortably and rubbed his neck.

Hux continued with the habit of pretending he wasn’t a part of this conversation. He poured wine into three glasses and slid them across the counter. Ben really wished that he would put a stop to this conversation, before Ben said something he would regret later.

Liam picked up his glass and took a sip. “Oh, alright. I’ll take pity on you. We grew up in Vermont on the shore of beautiful Lake Poinsett in a house big enough that you could pretend you lived there alone, if you wanted to. Which our parents did often.” Liam winked at Ben. “The three of us were raised by a chronically unhappy, adulterous alcoholic and a bullying, emotionally unavailable workaholic. I’ll let you guess which was which.”

Ben blinked and scrambled for what the hell the appropriate reaction to _that_ was.

“Liam thinks he’s very funny.” Hux glared at his brother while leaning back against the counter and dangling his wine glass in one hand.

“One of us has to be,” Liam shot back.

“I thought you were supposed to be spreading the family gospel to the masses, as it were. Maintaining the brand. That’s all he trusts you with, isn’t it?” Hux said icily.

“Oh, I’m a _great_ salesman, but we’re among friends here.” Liam laid his hand on Ben’s bicep casually. Ben stepped back. He was getting really uncomfortable with how much this guy seemed to want to touch him.

Liam dealt with the rejection neatly. “Besides, your boy must be used to keeping his mouth shut. Well, at work, anyway.”

“Liam. That’s enough,” Hux snapped, snaking a hand around Ben’s waist and pulling him closer to him. Ben buried his head in his wine, and tried to pretend like he hadn’t caught the obvious jab in Liam’s comment. He hoped his face wasn’t as red as it felt.

Liam laughed and held his hands up. “Okay, okay. Peace. Actually, you might appreciate this because you know him. Funny enough, we grew up a few miles away from Snoke. Just a few towns away.”

Ben was distracted from his mortification by this surprising piece of information. He turned to Hux. “Wait, really?”

Hux nodded. “Yes. My father and he were in business together decades ago.”

Ben boggled. “Why didn’t I know about this?”

“It didn’t end well,” Hux said simply. From his tone, Ben could tell he wasn’t going to get anything more out of him tonight.

“Weird coincidence, right?” Liam smiled, sending another look Ben couldn’t decipher Hux’s way.

“Yeah…” Ben said, trying to slot that information in with everything else he knew.

Ben opened his mouth to ask some follow-up questions, but Hux tightened his grip around his waist. Apparently, whatever patience he had for his brother’s demonstration was over.

“It’s been nice catching up with you, Liam, but it’s late. And we have that dinner tomorrow,” Hux said in a hard voice, not even bothering to put the barest skein of politeness over his irritation.

Liam inclined his head and drained the rest of his glass. “Right you are, Armitage. I’d hate to keep you. I’m sure you two will be busy tonight.”

“Good _night_ , Liam,” Hux said, just a hair shy from baring his teeth.

Ben stayed awkwardly in the kitchen, sipping listlessly at his wine as Hux escorted Liam out of the kitchen and down the hall. He could hear the hushed tones of a quiet argument, but they were too far away for him to make out the details. After a minute, the door closed, and silence fell.

Ben puzzled over the cascade of new information he’d gotten. If Liam was being halfway truthful, and Ben wasn’t sure about that in the slightest, then Ben could definitely see why Hux ended up the way he did. He wondered if there would ever be an opportunity when he could ask Hux about it without getting his head bitten off. He wouldn’t hold his breath. All in all, he’d found Hux’s brother highly unpleasant, and he hoped he wouldn’t have to see him again.

When Hux re-entered the room, any thin veneer of civility was gone. He set his glass down on the counter with a grimace.

Ben tried to start a conversation a little hesitantly. “So… That was…”

Hux cut him off. “I don’t want to hear a single word about my brother or anything else from you for the rest of the night. The topic is off-limits. Understand?”

Hux was looking at him with such an intent glare that Ben was startled into silence. “Y-yeah. Sure. Of course.”

Hux surveyed him with a tight, angry glance. It was obvious he wished there was something about Ben’s behavior he could reprimand him for. Ben tried his best not to give him one. “Good.”

Hux plucked the glass of wine out of Ben’s hand, and clamped a tight hand around his wrist. Not wanting to make the situation any worse, Ben meekly followed where he was led, up the stairs and into the bedroom.

While Hux angrily loosened his tie and took off his watch, Ben wondered if some of Hux’s anger stemmed from Liam’s overfamiliar touching of Ben. Had Hux been jealous? Ben had to admit that he hoped so. It wasn’t much, but it would at least be a small enough clue that Hux cared about him in some small way. If he had been jealous, though, why hadn’t he said anything, done anything? Ben didn’t have an answer.

When Hux was done at the dresser, he turned around with a sneer on his face. He beckoned Ben over and then pushed him to his knees. “This has been a very long day. I need a distraction. Make yourself useful.”

Ben did.

* * *

The weekend came around, and with it the promise of this party that Ben had agreed to go to. Hux still hadn’t enlightened him on any more details about it. Ben had tried a few times, asking little questions here and there, but he’d been so cleanly shut down by Hux that he eventually gave up. He wondered why this party was the price of his disobedience, but he wasn’t that worried about it. He just wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.

Saturday morning, Ben woke up to the sound of his phone ringing. He blindly groped for it by his bedside table, and swiped to answer a few times before he got it right.

“Hello?” He asked groggily, still mostly asleep.

“I’m on my way to your apartment.” It was Hux, and he just launched right into it without a greeting. “Get up. Get dressed. Be ready.”

Ben sat up and rubbed at his eyes. “What? What are you-”

Hux had already hung up. Ben stared at his phone for a moment in blank confusion. Now? First thing in the morning? He groaned loudly to his empty apartment, but heaved himself to his feet. He wasn’t going to test Hux, not so soon.

While he brushed his teeth and threw on clothes, he fantasized about telling Hux to fuck off and to call him later. The sheen around Hux’s bossiness was fading, and more and more Ben was chafing under it. Of course Hux was like that at work, but now that they were… seeing each other, Ben didn’t know why Hux couldn’t just treat him like an equal. Ben was under no illusions about the state of their relationship, but that didn’t mean that Hux had to willfully flaunt it in his face all the time.

Still tired, kind of annoyed, and hungry, Ben had just finished pulling his shoes on when Hux called again to let him know he was here. Ben stomped down the stairs, feeling a bit like a petulant teenager. He tried his best to wipe it off his face before he got into Hux’s car, but given Hux’s penchant for reading him, he was sure he wasn’t very successful.

Hux was dressed casually and had sunglasses on for the sunny morning. Ben got in the passenger seat, not bothering to greet him, hoping his irritation at being woken up this early would be communicated. Hux didn’t say anything about the attitude, nor, on the other hand, about being pleased that Ben had followed his instructions to the letter. As usual, he was a black hole. Ben was in a dangerously irritated mood, and considered very briefly putting his feet up on the dashboard, but then decided he liked all his limbs attached and discarded the dangerous idea.

Hux took Ben downtown to a tailor, the kind of old-fashioned shop that looked like it had refused to move or upgrade as more modern places replaced everything else up and down the block. Ben slowed down a little at the threshold. There was one man already being helped by the well-dressed clerk towards the back of the shop.

“Uh… What are we doing here?” He asked hesitantly. He wasn’t entirely sure what he had expected from this outing, but this hadn’t been it.

Hux turned around, neatly folding his sunglasses in the front pocket of his linen shirt. “You need something to wear.”

Ben blinked in confusion and looked down at what he was already wearing.

Hux gave him a wry look. “For the party. I’ve seen your wardrobe and it won’t do for tonight.”

“Oh,” Ben said, an important point occurring to him suddenly. He stepped in closer to Hux and lowered his voice, not wanting to be overheard. “Hux, I, uh… I can’t afford anything here.”

“I will be paying,” Hux replied.

“Oh… Okay. Can’t I just wear something I usually wear to work?” Ben wheedled a little. For some reason, the prospect of Hux paying for him to wear nice clothes sat badly with him. It gave him a weird, squirmy feeling in his stomach, like he wasn’t good enough for Hux, like he had to be literally clothed in order to be worthy of this gathering he was being brought to. Whether or not this was Hux’s intention, it made him feel like dirt under his shoes.

“No,” Hux said firmly, turning toward the clerk who had finished up with the other customer. “Good morning. I called ahead. Appointment for Hux?”

The clerk, a tall, thin man with close-cropped brown hair, sorted through a sheaf of papers at his desk before pulling out what he was looking for. “Of course, sir. Please. Follow me.”

The clerk led Hux and a trailing Ben to a back room dominated by a black pedestal and floor-length mirrors. “I understand you will be needing a full outfit. Shoes as well?”

“Yes. Everything. And I need this done by this afternoon. I will pay for the rush job,” Hux said cleanly, looking at home here.

The clerk took this perhaps unreasonable request in stride. “Of course. Will you be needing any accessories?”

Hux looked Ben up and down in an assessing manner like a slab of meat. Ben was feeling increasingly uncomfortable. “Pocket square. No tie. Do you do custom cuff links?”

“No, but we contract with a jeweler down the road. Just let me know your specifications and price range and I can arrange that for you as well,” the clerk said neatly, hanging up a series of shirts and slacks on a rack.

“Perfect.” Hux and the clerk continued to discuss details while Ben stood there feeling like he was an object on display.

Hux laid an authoritative hand on the small of Ben’s back and steered him up onto the pedestal. Ben went with no fuss, although if there hadn’t been a witness here, he might have had something choice to say to Hux. He was urged to take off his coat, and Hux made a face of distaste upon seeing Ben’s weekend clothes. Ben hadn’t had a chance to really dress up, so he was just wearing jeans and a sweater he was only now realizing had a hole in the elbow.

Hux backed away and took a seat while the clerk got to work. Ben stood highly uncomfortable as Hux and the clerk discussed him in detail, commenting on the various measurements and proportions of his body. He had a roiling feeling in his stomach. He hated being in the spotlight like this, hated being noticed, and doubly so when it was obvious his input into the situation was not needed.

He was bid to go into the dressing room and try on shirt after shirt and then stand while the clerk ran his impersonal hands across his arms and chest, plucking parts of the fabric, measuring the circumference of his waist in a never-ending blur. It seemed to last forever, and by the end of their visit he was in an even worse mood than before, although by now, he’d learned how to regulate his mood around Hux.

Hux made all the final decisions about what he was going to wear down the minutest detail, and then paid for it all. When Ben overheard the total, he nearly fainted. It was an exorbitant amount of money for one outfit, and Hux threw it around like it was nothing. The entire visit, Ben practically didn’t say anything.

Ben managed to hold his peace all the way back to his apartment. To his relief, there was only one stop.

Hux pulled up outside of Ben’s building and turned to him before they parted ways. He looked at Ben frankly. “The clothes should arrive by courier around five. I want you to take a shower this afternoon, and do what you can to style your hair.”

Ben had several unwise things clamoring on the tip of his tongue, but he managed with a lot of effort to hold them back. “When are you coming to pick me up?”

“I need to be there early. I’m sending a car to pick you up at seven.”

“Oh,” Ben said, a little surprised. “You’re not… coming with me?” He had to be honest, the prospect of going to this fancy party without Hux was a daunting one.

“I’ll meet you there,” Hux said. Ben was surprised to see something on Hux’s face he hadn’t expected. He was always fairly impenetrable, but there was something new on his face now, something like… uncertainty or indecision. Or something. Ben was probably imagining it.

Ben drummed his fingers on his leg. “I’d really rather… come with you.”

“You’re a big boy. I’m sure you can handle it,” Hux said condescendingly.

Ben frowned at him, hating when he talked to him like that. “You’re really not going to tell me anything about this party? I don’t even know where it is. Or who’s hosting it.”

“Calvin Marshall, the district attorney, recently got married, and the newlyweds are back from their honeymoon. It’s just an excuse to get some people together. We went to school together.” Hux offered up finally.

“Okay. And why do I have to come to this?” Ben asked, aware he was skirting the line of unacceptable disrespect.

Any flash of emotion Ben had imagined was on Hux’s face disappeared. His voice turned iron. “Because I want you there.”

Ben looked down at his lap. “Am I supposed to… _do_ something?”

“No. All you need to do is be present.” Hux paused for a second, and lifted Ben’s face to meet his. That strange, inexplicable expression was back on his face. If Ben didn’t know better, he would almost say Hux looked… worried. That was impossible. “You’ll do fine.”

Ben couldn’t help the squirmy, pleased feeling in his stomach, even as he dreaded the night.

That was all the information that Hux was willing to give him, so Ben said goodbye and got out of the car. Hux gave him one last look and drove away.

* * *

By seven that night, Ben was buzzing out of his skin. He’d done as Hux had asked, taking a shower and buzzing up the courier with the delivery. Ben lay all the clothes out on the bed to look at them first. They were nice. Nicer than anything he’d ever worn before. The pants were ankle-cut and navy blue, and the shirt was linen, pale grey with a faint paisley pattern. They had cost more than a paycheck, and Hux had thrown around that kind of money just for a single night. He didn’t know if that demonstrated how little regard Hux had for money, or whether this night was that important.

Ben slipped on the clothes provided, feeling even more uncomfortable, like he was putting on airs. No matter how nicely he was dressed, he was sure that the others would be able to sense that he didn’t belong. He looked at himself in the mirror, not feeling like these clothes fit him and more like he was a circus bear dressed in people clothes.

The finishing touch were the cuff links, which Ben had to google to know how they were supposed to be worn. They came in a small, padded box, and he opened it not knowing what to expect. They were small, understated, ivory white. He almost didn’t notice, but when he picked one up to put it on, he felt a faint engraving. Frowning, he picked up both of them and turned them toward the light so he could see. They were engraved with the initials _AH_. Ben’s knees buckled, and he had to sit on his bed for a moment. His fingers fumbled with the clasps three or four times before he could get them on. He tried to tell himself he didn’t feel a pleasurable tug in his chest when he fastened them closed.

Regardless, there was nothing for it. He got fully dressed and waited on tenterhooks, sitting by the door in his coat and shoes scrolling through his phone aimlessly. Eventually, he got a call from a man he didn’t recognize telling him to come down, that the car was waiting.

Ben got outside to see a gleaming black car, not as nice as Hux’s but still pretty close, sitting out front. The passenger side door was locked, so he climbed in the back. There was a man sitting up front with broad shoulders and a dark suit. He looked in the rearview mirror and waited until Ben had buckled his seat belt before driving off.

On the way, Ben attempted to get information out of this man. He asked his name, where they were going, whether he worked for Hux or for the district attorney. All his questions were neatly ignored, and he eventually gave up. He spent the ride over picking at the uncomfortably close-fitting clothes and staring out the window.

Eventually, they arrived at their destination. They’d driven out of the city into the suburbs. Into the nice suburbs. The rich ones. Ben marveled as they drove up to a gate where the driver flashed his ID and a guard buzzed them in.

Once past the checkpoint, it was a short drive until they were pulling up to what could only be described as a small mansion. It was three stories tall and comfortably filled the plot of land, and Ben was nearly shocked to see it had two wings. He couldn’t imagine who would need a house this big. There were some cars parked up and down the block, but not as many Ben would have guessed. Most of the people at this party probably had chauffeurs drop them off. Or a valet so the street wasn’t clogged with cars like it was a block party. That would be unseemly.

The driver stopped near the front door of the mini-mansion and unsmilingly indicated that Ben should get out. Ben did so, watching him drive away almost immediately. He looked in trepidation up at the house. It was lit up with golden light, and he could hear the faint sound of people inside talking and laughing. He wondered if he was one of the last to arrive.

At the very last minute, it occurred to Ben to wonder if he was supposed to have brought a small gift. A bottle of wine or something. He plucked self-consciously at the collar of his shirt and knocked on the door.

He had to knock twice before someone came to the door. A woman with almost supernaturally long black hair piled in artful ringlets on her head answered. She was dressed in a floor-length black dress and held a glass of champagne in one hand. “Yes? May I help you?” She asked with a superior tilt to her voice, slight confusion at seeing someone she didn’t recognize obvious on her face.

Feeling increasingly awkward and out of place, Ben offered his hand to shake. “Oh, hello, ma’am. I’m, uh, Ben Organa. Armitage Hux invited me?”

The woman’s face was completely blank when he was saying his name. She was probably wondering what the best way to get rid of him would be. However, the moment he mentioned Hux, her face lit up. “Ah, of course! He told us you were coming. Do come in, darling.”

She stepped aside and graciously ushered him into the house. The foyer was golden and sumptuously decorated, a huge chandelier dominating most of the space. She took his coat and handed it to someone, who promptly whisked it away in a flash.

She turned around and took Ben’s hand. She was a very beautiful, feminine woman, but her handshake was deceptively firm. “I’m Alexandra Goodwin. Or, well, I suppose I’m a Marshall now.” She laughed brightly, but with a flash of insight, Ben could tell that her little slip was a charming little show she was putting on. She knew she was a Marshall, and hadn’t forgotten it for a moment.

Ben put the pieces together. “Oh, this is your house?”

“It is now,” she winked at him, put an arm around his shoulders, and began to usher him into the other room. “Come, dear, I’ll show you around.”

Alexandra led him into the body of the house, which was as beautifully decorated as the rest of it. There were men and women everywhere, chatting with each other, every one of them with an artfully-placed cocktail in their hands. They all looked like they belonged there.

Alexandra pulled Ben around, stopping here to chat to one person or other. She knew everyone, and knew just the right thing to say to put them at ease. Most of the time, she didn’t bother to introduce Ben, and when she did, she presented him as Hux’s guest. Upon hearing Hux’s name, most people’s eyebrows rose and they looked at Ben again with a strange look on their face that made Ben extremely uncomfortable.

After traversing three rooms like this, Ben attempted to get Alexandra’s attention. “Ah, Mrs. Marshall? Can I ask-”

“Oh, please, honey. Call me Alexandra,” she said, her hand still clamped around Ben’s shoulder like a vice.

“Uh, okay. I’d actually like to find Hux, if I could? Have you seen him around?” Ben said, eager to get out of Alexandra’s stifling company and into Hux’s at least familiarly overwhelming presence.

“Oh, I’m sure he’s around,” Alexandra said vaguely. “Oh, there’s the Delaney twins. You just _have_ to meet them!”

Unwillingly, Ben was pulled around to meet two identical women with buzzed heads who looked at him with nearly undisguised hunger in their eyes. Ben looked behind him in the room, desperately searching for Hux’s familiar presence. He didn’t see Hux, but he did notice a handful of people he’d been introduced to already watching him and whispering to each other. When they saw him looking, they quickly returned to their conversations. It was so seamless Ben couldn’t be sure whether he was just being paranoid, or whether they were really talking about him.

Alexandra finally swept him into another beautiful room, this one with leather armchairs and a pool table. There was a small group of people that Alexandra steered him toward. When they got closer, Ben realized with a nasty shock that one of them was Liam, Hux’s brother. He was laughing and at ease with the other people, like he’d known them for years.

Alexandra drew them to a halt. She indicated a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair and a sharp, intelligent face. “And here we are at last. This is my husband Calvin.” He kissed Alexandra on the cheek, and she smiled with red lips.

Another woman with brown hair in a bob smiled. “This is Morgan. She’s in pharmaceuticals. And I’m sure you know Liam already. Everyone, this is Hux’s new project.”

Ben supposed this was supposed to be a charming little witticism, but he didn’t really care for being introduced as someone else’s, like he was property. He forced a little smile, and wondered how fast he could get away from these people and find Hux.

Liam, his blonde hair artfully tumbling over his brow, openly looked Ben up and down and grinned. “Well, you clean up nice. You almost look like you belong here.”

Ben couldn’t hide the flash of distaste that crossed his face. “Did you break in here, too, or did you wait for an invitation?” He tried his very best to sound like he was joking, but he was sure the hostile undertone was pretty obvious.

A few of the others laughed in shocked surprise, but Liam’s smile dimmed, and Ben hoped he could count that as a win. The more he got to know Liam, the less he liked him.

“Well!” Alexandra said to break the tension. “Hux certainly likes them with a sharp little tongue!”

Ben did his best to hide the irritation, but wasn’t sure he succeeded.

Calvin spoke next. “Alexandra, don’t you think it’s time for the toast?”

For what had to be the dozenth time tonight, something unspoken passed between them. Alexandra nodded and finally let go of Ben. “Of course. We should go check on the champagne. Morgan, if you would…”

The other woman in the group nodded at Alexandra and turned to Ben. “You look like you could use a drink. I can show you the way, if you’d like.”

Ben didn’t really want to be saddled with yet another person he didn’t know, but thought she might be easier to get away from. He nodded. “Yes, thanks.”

Morgan started to lead him away. Liam called after him. “See you later, Benny.”

Ben gave him a dirty look and then followed Morgan. He figured if Hux wasn’t civil to him, Ben shouldn’t be expected to be. She led him into the empty kitchen, where the counter was laid with hors d’oeuvres.

“Have you eaten tonight?” Morgan asked somewhat out of the blue.

Ben blinked in confusion. “Uh, no, not since lunch. Why?”

Morgan studied him for a minute with intent blue eyes. It was a bit unnerving. “No reason. Appetizers always taste better on an empty stomach. Excuse me.” She disappeared into what looked to be a pantry with shelves of wine and champagne visible for a minute or two and returned holding a glass of a shimmering golden liquid Ben assumed was champagne.

“Here. I promise you this party will be more bearable after a little bit of this.” She said with a thin smile.

Ben took it gratefully. “I hope you’re right.”

Right before he lifted the glass to his lips, he glanced out the door and saw Hux walking by in the company of Phasma. They were deep in conversation. Hux caught sight of Ben, and he paused for a moment. Again, that strange, uncharacteristic look flashed across his face, and then he kept walking, disappearing from view.

“Hux!” Ben called, intending to run after him.

Morgan stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Best let him go. You can find him after the toast.”

Ben frowned a little unhappily, but stopped. Morgan lifted her glass to his, and they clinked their glasses together. Morgan drained her drink, and Ben mirrored her. His drink was a lot sweeter than he had been expecting, and it went down like honey coating his throat. It wasn’t unpleasant, exactly, just not what he’d been expecting.

“Perfect.” Morgan watched him intently and smiled when he drained the glass. “Do you want to join the party now?”

Ben licked his lips, trying to get rid of the sweet taste in his mouth. “I actually wanted to find Hux.”

“Oh, you can find him in a bit. You should enjoy yourself first!” Morgan said, linking her arm in his and drawing him back into the main room. Ben was getting pretty tired of being carted around like this, but party etiquette demanded he play along. On the way, he scanned the crowd for Hux again, but he had disappeared somewhere. Ben frowned, wondering why Hux had brought him here if he was just going to ignore him the whole time.

The hosts were standing halfway up the spiral staircase in the foyer making a seemingly endless toast to almost every guest here. The guests were drinking it up; they laughed at all the right moments and seemed to enjoy just listening to Alexandra and Calvin talk. It was self-indulgent, and didn’t do anything to improve Ben’s mood.

A waiter appeared out of nowhere and offered Ben and Morgan glasses of champagne for the toast. Ben took his and sipped it slowly. He didn’t want to get drunk or anything.

After they’d been standing there for a few minutes listening to the self-congratulatory speech, Ben became a little distracted with the way the light from all the lamps scattered around the room seemed to be streaking around in golden lines. Ben blinked and shook his head, but they kept doing it. He wondered if there was something wrong with his eyes, but rubbing them didn’t seem to help.

He thought he’d better find a bathroom and check if there was something stuck in his eye or something. He turned to his companion who still had her arm linked with his and opened his mouth to say something. He paused. For a long moment, he couldn’t remember what her name was. That was weird. He’d been introduced only a few minutes ago, but he was drawing a complete blank. Then it came to him in a flash of insight.

“Morgan!” He said. “My eye’s… weird. I need… find… bathroom.”

Ben frowned and shook his head. Everything he’d said had come out in a garbled mess. It was hard to string words together all of a sudden, and he didn’t know why. His tongue felt too heavy in his mouth. He was starting to feel a little weird, light-headed and skin a little buzzy.

Morgan patted his arm like he was livestock. She didn’t look surprised at his mumbled sentence. “Don’t worry. You just stick with me. You’re right where you need to be.”

Ben’s thoughts were coming increasingly slow, like he was thinking through a pool of molasses. He shook his head. “No… I need…”

She tightened her grip and looked at him coldly. “You need to stay right here. A lot of people are waiting for you.”

Ben’s eyes widened and he stared at her. His last clear thought of the night arced through him like lightning.

She’d drugged him.

Ben pulled his arm out of her grasp with the last of his strength, and stumbled away from her, realizing only now how watery his legs felt. Panic lit up his brain with just enough adrenaline to get out of there. He could feel her trying to grab him, but she didn’t want to make a scene in front of the crowd, and he managed to slip into one room and then the other, ducking into a small recess while she ran the wrong way.

Ben panted from the exertion for a moment. He had to grab the doorknob tight to keep from falling over. He felt like the room was spinning around him, and there were a few seconds where he was sure he was going to fall on the ground.

He tried to string together a plan, even though it was getting harder and harder to think. Morgan had drugged him, for what purpose he didn’t know, but he could make a pretty good guess. He had to get out of this house. He could explain things to Hux later.

However, when Ben started ambling toward the front door, he realized that a huge crowd of people were still gathered there. He had to find the back door. He turned too fast and half-kneeled on a chair for a few seconds, holding onto the back of the chair for dear life, breathing heavily as nausea tried to assert itself.

He heaved himself to his feet and headed for the kitchen, but heard Morgan’s voice calling to someone else. “Have you seen him? He got away from me.”

Fear coursing through him, Ben changed course again, stumbling through a doorway to what turned out to be a staircase leading up to the second floor. He started up it, thinking if he could only find a bathroom, maybe he’d be able to make himself throw up and neutralize most of the drug’s effect.

Halfway up, his legs failed him, and he ended up mostly crawling up the steps on hands and knees. He felt terrible, like he could still kind of think, but he was separated from the rest of the world by a strip of gauze. His thoughts were sluggish, and he couldn’t seem to coordinate with his limbs. The more time that went by, the less his body was under his control. He panted with fear.

Ben struggled up the steps as best as he could to see a long, carpeted hallway with numerous doors leading off in all directions. He thought his vision was doubling, because there was no way this place had that many doors. The sounds of the party downstairs sounded like it was a thousand miles away.

Ben was catching his breath before trying to get to his feet when he felt a heavy hand land on the back of his neck.

“There you are. Everyone’s been looking for you.” It was Liam, and he heaved Ben to his feet with almost no trouble. “I found him!”

Ben gasped and struggled, trying to pry Liam’s hands off of him, but not quite able to get enough force in his hands.

Running footsteps thudded up the stairs behind them, and then Morgan appeared, a little out of breath. “Christ, I thought he’d gotten out of the house.”

Ben’s head lolled out of his control, and his legs were so weak Liam was supporting all of his weight. His heart pounded hot and heavy. “Get… off… me…” He forced out, his tongue feeling like it was filling his entire mouth.

Liam and Morgan ignored him entirely. “Where do you want him?” Liam asked, casually slapping away one of Ben’s hands that was halfheartedly trying to scratch him.

Morgan led Liam down the hallway and into a side room dominated by a huge fireplace, which was blazing with warm light. A few people Ben didn’t recognize were lounging around the room. The intimidating pair of twins Alexandra had introduced him to earlier were sitting in front of the fireplace. Everyone in the room looked around when Liam dragged Ben in. Their eyes were dark and curious, the firelight dancing in them, giving them all a malevolent look. Nobody looked surprised to see an obviously drugged and distressed man being brought in here.

There was a plush, white carpet near the fireplace, and Liam deposited Ben on it. Without support, Ben collapsed face-first onto the ground with a yelp. His elbow slammed against the floor and went tingly and numb.

A foot nudged him. “He’s certainly interesting-looking. Taller than I expected. I was expecting more of a… you know, a twink.” One of the twins noted like she was talking about an animal.

Somebody else laughed, gleeful and cruel. Ben’s panic was slow to grow, but he was growing more afraid by the minute. It was obvious whatever these people wanted was bad. He needed to get out.

The people in the room continued to discuss his physical attributes, and Ben tried to use the reprieve to get up on his elbows and knees. He had his eyes trained on the still-open door, and he was going to crawl. It took a lot longer than he’d expected. Getting his arms and legs to work right was like pushing a boulder uphill.

Ben started to crawl, his breath coming short and panicked. He screamed breathily when someone pushed down on his lower back, forcing him down onto the ground. He’d only managed to make it a foot or two.

“ _W-what d-do… you waaant?_ ” He cried, unable to make a lot of noise. He hoped if he could just get the attention of somebody not in this room, they could help him.

He started sobbing a little when they flipped him onto his back. He wasn’t able to fight back at all.

One of the twins with the buzzed heads was crouching over him. She smiled, teeth sharp and glinting in the firelight.

“We just want to have a little fun. We’d like to play a game. You like games, right?” She said.

Ben whipped his head to the side, searching desperately for a friendly face. Where was Hux? Wasn’t he wondering where he was?

“We’re going to give you a little task to complete. Nothing too hard, I promise. But… if you can’t do it, we get to take off a piece of clothing.” The woman grinned.

Ben burst into nervous tears. He shook his head. “ _No_ …” He moaned, head spinning dizzily in terror.

The woman looked around at everyone else. “Anyone have any suggestions?”

A man in the corner spoke up. “Oh, let’s give him something easy to start. Warm him up a little. Have him name three people in this room.”

The woman looked back down at him. “There you go. Easy. Just name three of us. Alexandra introduced you, so this should be a piece of cake.”

Ben’s heart pounded. He searched for the one person he kind of knew in this room. “ _Liam_ …” He croaked, more of a plea than an answer to this sadistic game. He didn’t like Liam much, but he was Hux’s brother. Surely he wouldn’t let this happen to him. If he could just get Liam to tell Hux, this could be over. However, that would involve stringing more than a few words together, which the drug in his system was making absolutely impossible.

Liam was leaning against the fireplace mantle with his arms crossed. He grinned and held a finger up. “That’s one.”

Ben yelped when he felt the woman’s hand run down his chest toward his waist. He managed to weakly push her hand away. “Concentrate, now. What’s another one?”

Ben stared up at the ceiling, wide-eyed and confused. It was hard to think with the drug coursing through his system and the terror, but he managed. “Morgan.” He panted.

“Very good. One more now.” The woman smiled, deceptively sweet.

Ben stared up at her. He didn’t know. He couldn’t remember. He hadn’t really been paying attention earlier, and now the memory of anything happening outside of this room seemed to be miles away. “I don’t know.” He said querulously.

The woman grinned. “Wrong answer.”

Ben screamed weakly when she stripped him of his suit jacket, tossing it on the floor near the door. One of the cuff links landed on the floor near his head. Ben stared at it. Hux had spent so much money on his clothes, and now they were being ruined. Hux was going to be so angry with him. He gulped in a huge breath and fought against his increasingly dizzy feeling. He felt like he was in the belly of a ship in a storm.

The woman climbed off him and retreated. Another man at the other end of the room crouched down on his haunches and patted his knees, like he was calling a dog. “You’ve got fifteen seconds to get over here.”

Ben wasted five seconds just staring at him blankly. There was no way this was really happening. He scrambled up onto his hands and knees again, but that was the end of his time. Somebody came up behind him and took his shoes and socks. Ben kicked out at them but didn’t connect.

The man was still looking at him expectantly. “Okay, I’ll give you one more chance. C’mere, boy.”

Ben’s face blazed in embarrassment, but he wanted this to be over, so he scrambled forward. He actually thought he was going to make it, but right before he reached the man, somebody put a foot out and tripped him. He fell and stopped just short of the man.

The man’s face contorted in fake sympathy. “Ooh… So close.”

Ben was having a hard time breathing. “ _Th-that’s not fair!_ ” He sobbed, feeling someone manhandle him around and start to unbutton his shirt. He struggled harder this time, scratching weakly at their arms. He was so panicked he couldn’t even really see their face. He spat in their face and received a backhand slap in response.

Ben sobbed and tried to grab at the shirt even as it was pulled away from him, blindly thinking that he couldn’t let these people take what Hux had paid for. Once it was gone, he curled up on the floor and started to shake. There were too many people around him, and he was too slow, and he didn’t know what to do.

There was a brief pause in the festivities. “Morgan, you’ve outdone yourself. He’s helpless.” Somebody commented. Ben couldn’t lift his head to see who it was.

Morgan responded from somewhere in the room, sounding pleased with herself. “Well, thank you very much. It’s a little something I’ve been cooking up. I didn’t want to use a standard sedative, because then they’re too out of it. I wanted him to be aware of what was happening to him. Plus the fear is half the fun.”

Several people laughed. Ben thought he must be in a nightmare. He had to be hallucinating, this couldn’t be happening. People didn’t behave like this, not people at a party, when there were other people just a few rooms away.

He tried to crawl away again, but Liam leaned down and grabbed Ben’s wrists in his, pulling him closer so they were face-to-face. Ben was pulled up onto his knees and he looked up desperately, knowing from Liam’s expression that he wouldn’t find any help on that front.

“My turn.” Liam was perfectly at ease here. “I want you to kiss me. Show me what I’m missing.”

Ben shook his head in distress. “ _No_ ,” he moaned, tears in his eyes.

Liam shrugged, pulling Ben in close and kissing him. He was forceful, not particularly interested in making it pleasurable, but more concerned with showing brute dominance. Ben grunted in protest and tried to pull back, but Liam kissed him harder, biting down on Ben’s lower lip sharply, making him scream.

Ben was relieved when Liam let him go. He fell back onto the carpet, moaning and shaking. There was a burst of scattered, sarcastic applause from around the room. Liam gave a mocking bow at everyone else. Ben pressed the heels of his hands over his eyes and cried, messy, broken sounds.

“Oh, you should give him a little reward for that, I think.” One of the twins called out, sounding bright and amused. “A good performance deserves a little something.”

“ _No!_ ” Ben screamed and wriggled uselessly when he was heaved to his feet and hands pulled his head back. Something was shoved into his mouth, and liquor was forced down his throat. Ben coughed and spluttered, forced to swallow most of it. He was too panicked to figure out what it was, but it burned on the way down. His hands were free, but his attempts to push people back were far too soft, easily rebuffed.

They pulled the bottle away, and Ben whipped his head to the side, trying his best to cough up as much of the stuff that he’d swallowed as he could. Someone ruffled his hair, and he snarled weakly. His head spun.

Conversation flowed around him, but he couldn’t seem to process it. He was ordered to do something else, but he must have failed, because his pants were removed. He found himself at some point leaning against Liam by the fireplace, his head slumped against Liam’s collarbone, not because he wanted it, but because he didn’t have the strength to move. Liam was supporting nearly all his weight.

“I want Hux…” Ben mumbled through numb lips. He seemed to have lost the thread of what was going on, but he knew if only Hux were here, he could fix it. Hux could fix anything.

Liam slapped him on the ass and laughed. “I am Hux, baby.”

Ben struggled a little, trying to articulate what was wrong with this. “No… no… I want…” _Hux_ was the only word he could think of.

They were interrupted by someone walking into the room. Ben opened his eyes blearily to see who it was. It was Alexandra, with her arms crossed and one eyebrow artfully raised. “What’s going on in here?”

Ben licked his lips. “ _Help… me…_ ” He croaked, begging in the only way he could.

She heard him, but she didn’t respond to him. “He looks better out of those clothes. It was obvious he didn’t really belong in them.”

Somebody responded, but Ben stopped listening. He thought his leg strength might be coming back just a little bit. He let them talk and experimentally shifted his stance. He thought he might be able to walk. He thought he might be able to get out of this room.

With no warning, Ben shoved Liam away from him and ran to the door. Liam fell back with a cry and just barely avoided falling into the fireplace. The only reason Ben was able to do this was because he’d caught him by surprise.

There were shocked voices calling out behind him, but Ben didn’t stop to listen. He just ran. His legs were wobbly, and he kept crashing into the wall, but he managed to skid down the stairs, mostly on his ass, landing hard on one elbow and crying out in pain.

Ben could hear feet pounding down the stairs behind him, so he heaved himself to his feet and started running blindly. There were a lot of people at this party. Surely not _everyone_ here was involved in this. If he could just find someone… but every room he ran through was empty. He must have been upstairs for longer than he thought, because it seemed like everyone was gone.

He ended up back in the room with the pool table when he ran almost face-first into a man. He looked up hopefully, hoping it was Hux, but it was only Calvin, Alexandra’s husband. He gripped Ben tight around the shoulders, and looked a bit annoyed.

“Are we really letting him just run around the house now?” He snapped. “What if he’d gotten out?”

Liam skidded into the room, a little out of breath. “He caught me by surprise. Won’t happen again.”

Ben’s heart was pounding, but he hoped that this could be over now. Calvin didn’t seem quite as interested in tormenting him as everyone else was.

His hopes were dashed when Calvin clamped a hand around Ben’s bicep so hard it might bruise and marched him over to the pool table. He was bent over it, a hand on his back securely holding him down.

“Seems to me like we shouldn’t let bad behavior go unpunished.” Calvin noted casually. Ben bit down on another scream. This man was just like the rest of them. _Where is Hux_ , he wondered feverishly for the thousandth time.

Liam, Alexandra, and the twins were the only people that had followed them from upstairs. Everyone else had gotten their fill of humiliating him, it would seem.

“What would you suggest?” Liam asked, smiling his awful, shit-eating grin.

Calvin considered for a moment, then spoke. “Get him up on the table.”

Ben wailed, unable to stop himself from being pulled up on the table. Liam and Alexandra took one wrist each, and the twins took his feet. Ben was pulled spread-eagled across the table, stomach-down. The only thing he had left on was his underwear. Besides that, he was naked as the day he was born.

Ben screamed, struggled, and cried, hoping someone would hear him, someone in this house who would be willing to help him. Tears streaked down his face. He felt feverish and cold by turns. He just wanted to go home.

“I’m very disappointed that you tried to run away. Bad boy,” Calvin said, flicking Ben on the nose like he was a dog. Ben flinched.

“ _I- I don’t understand… why you’re doing this to m-me…_ ” Ben sobbed.

Ben’s brain stuttered to a halt when he saw Calvin unbuckle his belt and walk around behind him. Fearing the worst, he renewed his squirming, but he was unable to break any of their holds. He was still too weak from the drug in his system.

“No! No! Don’t, wait, _please_!” Ben screamed. Even in the back of his panicked mind, he didn’t understand why nobody else in this house was coming to his rescue. The place had been absolutely packed. Even if none of the guests were halfway decent, surely a member of the staff would have to take pity on him.

Ben waited in dizzy terror for the man to climb up on the table between his legs, and so was completely unprepared for the line of fire that ran across the skin of his ass and thighs. All the air was driven out of his lungs, and he was too surprised to do much more than gape wide-eyed at the far wall.

When the second strike hit him, he realized what was happening. Calvin was _belting_ him. This time he jerked hard against the hands holding him. The third time, he screamed.

There were a few more strikes he didn’t count. His lower back, ass, and thighs stung and screamed in pain. He’d never felt anything like this before. His parents had never laid a hand on him, and this most _definitely_ wasn’t the kind of thing he would do on purpose in bed. Hell, he’d never even been in a fight, really.

Ben yanked desperately at his wrists and turned teary eyes up to Liam. “Please, please, stop him! Please, stop! I’m sorry about running, I won’t do it again, please just make him stop!”

Liam just smiled down at him, looking like he was drinking in Ben’s expression of pain.

Calvin grunted behind him and belted him again, this time much harder across his thighs. Ben cried and banged his forehead on the felt table under him in a blind attempt to get away from the pain however he could. He turned to Alexandra, in his feverish state sure that she would be kinder to him just because she was a woman.

“Please…” He begged her, feeling like he was on the brink of falling apart.

Alexandra looked at him, her smile sweeter than Liam’s, but just as cruel. “Oh darling, don’t blame me that you have to be taught your place. You look just gorgeous like this.” She reached her free hand, covered in bangles, rings, and sharp red nails to ruffle his messy and sweaty hair.

Calvin paused behind him, and Ben could have sobbed in relief. He couldn’t tell whether he was bleeding or not, but it felt like his skin had been peeled off up and down his back. He had no prior experience with which to compare this pain.

“What do you think?” Calvin asked, a little out of breath. Ben darkly wished he would have a heart attack and keel over right then and there. “Has this bitch been taught a lesson?”

Ben didn’t quite have the strength to say anything right now, but if he had he would have screamed, _Yes, I’ve had enough!_ He panted and tried to get whatever composure he could back. This had to be over soon. It _had_ to be, or he was going to lose his mind.

Liam spoke next, and Ben nearly cringed at the sound. “Oh, I don’t know. You can never be too careful. Mind if I try?”

“Of course.” Calvin said, handing off the belt to Liam. For the briefest moment, Ben’s left wrist was free, but all he managed to do was scrabble uselessly at the table under him before it was captured again.

There was a long, drawn-out silence behind him, and Ben panted, craning his head around to try and see what Liam was doing. Mercifully, Calvin had only struck Ben with the flat end of the belt, but Liam was wrapping the belt around his hand so the buckle would be what hit him. The sight made Ben’s mind feel like it was veering to the side.

“ _No_ ,” Ben moaned breathlessly, unable to get enough air in his lungs to protest properly. He had no gauge to know how badly this was going to hurt.

Liam must have seen the fear in his eyes, because his eyes lit up. “Oh, you can handle this, can’t you?” He crooned with fake sweetness.

Ben shook his head in panic, but Liam’s face hardened. “Too bad.”

Liam let swing, the buckle of the belt catching Ben squarely in the small of the back. Ben lost all strength in his neck and limbs, collapsing fully onto the table. He _howled_ , screaming almost at the top of his lungs. Pain exploded in his back and radiated outward in a pulsing, hot starburst through the rest of his body.

He was hit again on his left side, the belt curling from his ass around to his hip. Ben’s eyes nearly rolled back into his head, so great was the pain. He could recognize that the hoarse wailing in the air was coming from him, but he couldn’t believe that he could make those kinds of noises.

When Liam lifted his arm for a third strike, Ben lost it. He just screamed, wordless and terrified.

Before Liam could hit him again, a sharp voice spoke up from the doorway. “That’s enough.”

Hux was standing in the doorway, arms crossed and seemingly deeply unhappy. Ben’s heart stuttered in his chest, and relief flowed over him like a physical force. Hux was here, Hux would put a stop to this. Hux would fix everything.

Liam lowered the belt and slapped it into his other hand like a catcher would with a baseball. Ben flinched violently. He was still shaking and crying, couldn’t seem to stop. Liam’s slightly demonic look from earlier had subsided a bit, and it was obvious he was trying to hide his irritation that Hux was here.

“Hello, brother! Here to join in the festivities? He’s yours, so I wouldn’t dream of keeping you away.” Liam said brightly.

Hux barely looked at Ben. His face was pale with anger. “I was very clear. No permanent marks.”

Ben’s heart sank into the basement. Hux _knew_ about this? More than that, he’d planned it with these people beforehand?

Liam rolled his eyes and patted Ben on the ass proprietarily. Ben jumped and whimpered, pain flaring up again. “Oh, it wasn’t much. Once it heals up, you won’t even be able to see it.”

Hux didn’t move from his spot in the doorway, didn’t raise his voice, but his manner and tone dripped with malice. “I _said_. No. Permanent. Marks.”

Calvin and Alexandra, still holding Ben’s wrists, exchanged a worried look with each other. “We understood, Hux. You were very clear about the terms before we began. Liam, he’s right.”

Liam didn’t break eye contact with Hux for a few moments, staring him down as he considered their standoff. At long last, like it was nothing to him, he uncoiled the belt from his fist and dropped it on the table. The belt unraveled and brushed against Ben’s thigh. He moaned a little, trying to shift away from it a little, finding with shock that he could. The twins had let go of his ankles.

“Of course. Whatever you say, Armitage.” Liam said, smile sharp.

Ben’s mind spun in circles. They were talking about him like he was an object on loan, like his feelings on the matter didn’t matter, only Hux’s terms did.

Ben lay flat on the table, feverish and in pain and scared, staring at Hux. “ _H-Hux_ …” He whimpered, his voice just a croaky whisper. “ _Help me_ …”

Hux finally looked at him, and Ben didn’t know exactly what he wanted to see, but if he thought he’d find sympathy in Hux’s flinty eyes, he was sorely mistaken. Hux’s face was twisted in bitter contempt, and Ben was far too fragile at the moment to decipher whether that was directed at him or not. He felt like a stain of dirt on the ground, but he would do anything for Hux if it meant he could get out of this house. Hux’s eyes lingered on Ben’s mouth, where his lip must still be swollen from where Liam had bitten it.

“I also said that no one was to touch him. Not like that, anyway,” Hux snapped icily.

Calvin and Alexandra abruptly let go of his wrists. The twins had already disappeared from the room. The mood in the room had shifted. It was obvious nobody wanted to cross Hux, except for Liam. Ben pulled his arms into his chest and curled up a little on the table, sniffling softly.

“Oh, nobody did. We were just having some fun.” Liam said, and when Hux didn’t react to that, he leaned down and ran a slow hand down the knobs of Ben’s spine. Ben flinched and curled in tighter, his exhausted sobs renewing themselves. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off somewhat, his injuries, if anything, hurt even more.

“You can have some fun, Armitage. Join us. We were just teaching him a little lesson. I’m sure he’ll take to it better if it comes from you.” Liam looked around for inspiration. With a sudden grin, he picked up one of the long, wooden pool cues. He flipped it around deftly. “Maybe you can see how far you can get this inside him before he screams.”

Ben’s eyes popped out in horror, and he abruptly tried to scramble away from Liam, his limbs still horribly slow and uncoordinated. He choked on a scream when Liam acted fast, forcing him back down flat on the table, putting an elbow between his shoulder blades to keep him down.

“Oh, he doesn’t like that idea much. How about one of these pool balls? See how many of these can fit inside him?” Liam suggested with a grin.

“ _No! No no no no no no…_ ” Ben sobbed so hard it hurt his chest.

Hux strode forward with murder on his face. He held a hand out. “Let me see that.”

Ben, thinking Hux meant to take Liam up on his offer, wriggled in place, horribly helpless. He didn’t have to have a lot of imagination to know where it was going to go.

Hux took the pool cue from Liam, and Liam smiled wider, thinking the same.

With no warning, Hux broke the pool cue in half on the hard edge of the table and hit Liam with the blunt end in the kidneys. Liam shouted in surprised pain and stumbled away a few steps. He clutched his side and stared back up at Hux, outraged. “What the hell did you do that for?”

Hux dropped the wood contemptuously at Liam’s feet. “I was very clear about what I would and wouldn’t allow, Liam. You’re done.” He hissed.

Liam glared back. “You want to watch yourself around me, Armitage.”

Hux raised his eyebrows in contempt. “What are you going to do, Liam? Go crying to Dad? At least I’ve always been able to stand on my own two feet.”

Liam straightened up, obviously not seriously hurt. He spat at Hux’s feet. “You always were a boring stick in the mud.”

“And you always were a lapdog.” Hux snapped back. There were a few moments where it seemed like the brothers’ argument would come to blows. At the last second, Liam backed off, storming off into another room.

Hux turned around to the hosts of the party, who were standing by a little uncomfortable with how this had turned out. Ben had barely listened to this conversation. He was curled into himself, still crying as softly as he could. His back felt like it was on fire. “I apologize for Liam. He doesn’t know how to behave with company. I’ll be taking Ben home now.”

Alexandra stepped forward, looking a little worried. “I hope you don’t think…”

Hux shook his head and took her hand. “Not at all, Alexandra. I don’t blame anyone but my brother. Thank you for a lovely evening.”

They exchanged pleasantries like Ben wasn’t lying mostly naked and bleeding a few feet away.

Eventually, Ben felt a hand land on his shoulder. He flinched away, clenching his eyes closed. He couldn’t take any more of this treatment.

“Ben,” Hux said, leaning down so he was in his eyeline. “Can you hear me?”

Ben nodded shakily, whimpering a little and unable to stop. He thought about begging for mercy again, but it hadn’t worked so well for him the first time.

Hux put an arm around Ben’s shoulders and tried to pull him up into a sitting position. “Come on. I’m going to get you out of here.”

Like those words unlocked Ben’s muscles, he surged forward and wrapped his arms around Hux’s waist, burying his face in Hux’s chest and bursting into tears again. He wasn’t thinking very clearly right now. He just wanted to feel safe.

Hux sighed and put his hand on the nape of Ben’s neck, in a way that made him immediately fall pliable, allowing Hux to manhandle him up to a standing position. “Come on. I need you to stand up. I can’t carry you. Let’s go.”

Ben clung to Hux, the effects of the drug wearing off, but the pain and fear from what he’d been subjected to made it hard to stand up straight. When Hux tried to walk him out of the room, Ben’s back flared in pain from where he’d been hit with the buckle. He stumbled and cried out, sobbing weakly.

Hux pulled Ben’s arm around his own shoulders so he could support most of his weight and walk him toward the front door. The house was nearly silent around them. Every small jostle and movement exacerbated the pain from Ben’s back.

“I’m going to fucking kill him…” Hux hissed under his breath, sounding murderous and like he was just talking to himself.

Hux manhandled him outside. Ben just swayed and followed where he was taken. At some point a coat had been wrapped around his shoulders. He didn’t know where that had come from.

The valet jogged up to them, widening his eyes and looking concerned at Ben’s state. Hux held out a card. “Hurry up and get my car and stop staring!” He snapped authoritatively.

Ben started to shiver in the cold night air, despite the coat. He wasn’t wearing shoes. He was distracted by a thin line of blood dripping down his leg.

At long last, when the car was pulled around, Hux impatiently waved the valet away and opened the back door of the car, helping lay Ben down on the seat, making sure that his injured back wasn’t touching anything. Ben clutched the coat tighter around himself and shivered.

Hux stroked his sweaty hair back from his forehead before getting out and slamming the door, and in his dazed, feverish state, Ben hoped that was meant to be a comforting gesture.

Ben felt the car begin to move, and his stomach lurched. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, the aches of his body were making themselves known. His wrists and arms hurt from where they’d been grabbed, his head swam, and he was starting to feel feverish and sick, probably an aftereffect of the drug. More than that, though, was his back, which stung and screamed with every minute movement Ben made.

He could feel unconsciousness threatening to take him, but he tried to stay awake for just a little longer. He felt like he should say something. “I’m… s-sorry…”

He thought Hux hadn’t heard him, but his voice came drifting from the front seat. “For what?” Here, on this strange night, with the dark of the night rushing past the windows outside, Ben could almost imagine that he heard a small amount of softness in his voice.

“F-for… Whatever I did to make you angry. You made me go to that party b-because I did something wrong. I – I… please don’t make me do that again,” Ben pleaded tearfully.

There was silence from the front seat. Ben cringed when he realized something else. “And I lost your clothes. The cuff links. I’m so sorry. God, I fuck everything up. I can’t do anything right. I know why y-you hate me, because I do everything wrong. I just –” Ben broke down into exhausted tears again. He couldn’t seem to stop from crying tonight.

“I don’t hate you.” Hux said quietly. His voice sounded strange, strangled somehow. Like he was on the verge of emotion. Ben had never heard him like this before.

Ben continued to mindlessly babble some kind of apology. He just wanted Hux to forgive him. He just wanted… he didn’t know.

They idled at a stop light, and Hux turned around, putting a heavy hand on Ben’s shoulder, carefully avoiding any of his injuries. “Go to sleep, Ben.”

And like his exhausted body was just waiting for Hux’s permission, Ben’s eyes closed, and he passed into blessed unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I obviously don't have emojis on my laptop, so just imagine the smiling devil face emoji is here.
> 
> *rings dinner bell* Did anyone order awful hurt/comfort? Because you're going to get it! Hux has some pieces to pick up...


	12. Chapter 12

As Hux took the long drive home with Ben passed out in the backseat, he found himself troubled. This wasn’t an emotion he was used to, especially, which made it all the more troubling.

Every time he idled or took a turn, he found himself looking into the rearview mirror, checking on Ben. He looked small, diminished, _young_. He was curled up as best he could in his position, arms drawn in tight across his chest like he was trying to protect himself, even in sleep. They passed under a bright streetlight, and Hux saw fingermarks marring his wrists and forearms. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel in response.

He’d found the night hard to get through. Nearly unbearable, in fact. He hadn’t expected it to go like that. In fact, he had actually planned on joining the rest of them in toying with ( _tormenting_ , a voice in his head said) Ben. The idea had a certain appeal, but when he’d seen Ben standing in the kitchen with that glass of poison, he’d almost walked in and taken it out of his hands.

He’d seen Liam catch Ben and drag him into that room, as he went tipping Hux a wink that boiled his blood. He almost went in and put a stop to it again, but he couldn’t. His hands were tied.

Waiting downstairs while he was all but certain what was going on upstairs had been a curious form of torture he didn’t really want to repeat. He’d sat in one of the sitting rooms with Phasma while most of the other party guests packed up, milling around the entryway, getting their coats back and waiting for their chauffeur to arrive or the valet to bring their car. If a terrified cry or two were just audible from upstairs, people either didn’t notice or made themselves not notice. If one wanted to continue being invited to Marshall get-togethers, making a fuss about the party favors wasn’t the way to do it.

Hux noticed, though, try as he might to ignore it. He was ostensibly chatting with Phasma, but every cut-off whimper or muffled sound from upstairs caught his attention. He kept looking up, fingers clenched on the arm of his chair.

He became so nakedly concerned with what was going on upstairs that Phasma laughed. “Why don’t you just go up there?”

Hux looked at her with a frown. “This needs to happen. Putting a stop to it would be counterproductive.”

Phasma raised an eyebrow and smiled a little like she saw something Hux didn’t. “I didn’t mean stop it. I meant join them. Have some fun. Loosen up a bit.”

Hux felt disgruntled at the assumption he’d made. The thought of people’s hands all over Ben, the thought of _Liam’s_ hands all over Ben was… unpleasant. More than unpleasant, actually. The very idea was becoming maddening the longer he sat here.

He’d set guidelines beforehand, of course. This was necessary, but he didn’t want one night undoing all his hard work on Ben. The guests were allowed to do almost anything short of actually having sex with him. That was a line Hux’s jealousy wouldn’t allow him to cross. They could hurt Ben, as long as there were no lasting marks.

He was pretty sure the Marshalls and their guests would follow his rules. He was a powerful friend to have, but an even more powerful enemy. He was worried about Liam, though. Liam had made it his mission in life to push Hux’s buttons, and Hux wasn’t able to intimidate him the same way he did everyone else. As much as he hated it, Liam was somewhat outside of his control. Hux didn’t like when things were outside of his control.

Hux heard a choked-off wail coming from upstairs and clenched his fingers so tightly he was in danger of breaking his glass. He didn’t know why this was affecting him so much. Yes, he was possessive over Ben, but only because he had to be. Keeping Ben isolated was the only way to ensure that everything went according to plan. Ben had a nasty tendency of running off at the mouth, saying things he shouldn’t. He was malleable, and undisciplined, and that was why Hux had chosen him in the first place, but that also meant Hux had to be very careful about who he let him interact with. Hux was walking a very tenuous tightrope. The smallest misstep would result in a catastrophic loss. He had to control Ben at the risk of losing control himself.

Everything going on upstairs was according to plan, Hux told himself. This needed to happen. Ben was just a means to an end. He didn’t _matter_ , not really. It was completely illogical, counterproductive even, to care about what was going on upstairs, to be consumed with jealousy at the thought of other people touching what Hux was coming to think of as _his_.

Hux was interrupted from his spiraling train of thought by Phasma waving her hand in his face. Hux snapped back to attention and looked at her.

“What?” He asked irritably.

Phasma had that maddening smile on her face, that even from her, Hux was coming to resent.

“I’ve been talking to you for the past five minutes, but it’s obvious you haven’t been listening,” she said.

Hux sniffed in annoyance, his eyes going up to the ceiling again at a particularly agonized cry. “Yes, well… I have a lot on my mind right now.”

Phasma laughed. “I can see that. Should I leave you to it?”

“What?” Hux asked, distracted yet again.

Phasma stood up abruptly and slapped Hux good-naturedly on the shoulder. “Hux, I only tell you this as a friend. You can’t get attached.”

Hux looked back at her and frowned. “Attached?”

Phasma had lost her smile from before, and now just looked at him with deadly seriousness. “I’m not blind, Hux. I know you. He’s a tool. We’re using him. We don’t have room to get distracted. You need to stand aside and let your brother have what he wants.”

Hux clenched his jaw and nodded.

Shortly after Phasma left, there was a commotion from upstairs and running footsteps came on the stairs. Hux stood by and listened as the scene in the pool table room took shape. He stood by when Ben begged for help. He stood by when he heard Calvin begin to hit him. This was part of the plan. This was something he could stand by and allow.

When he heard Liam step up and demand to have his turn, Hux almost walked in then and there. Knowing Liam, he would take it too far. Hux waited, fingernails digging into his palms, resolving not to interrupt unless he tried to fuck Ben. That was something he refused to allow.

And Hux meant to keep that promise, was determined not to allow whatever conflicted feelings he had get in the way of what had to be done, but his plans were dashed before too long.

When Ben began to wail, to scream at the top of his lungs in an agonized tone, Hux’s convictions went out the window. He was going to put a stop to this. Now.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like to hear Ben in pain, exactly. Under other circumstances, he could have enjoyed this very much. It was just how out of his hands it was. If anyone was going to make Ben cry and beg, Hux wanted it to be him. No one else. He didn’t like the thought of Ben attached and indebted to anyone but him.

Hux entered the room and took in the scene in a moment. He was sure he put up a good front, but it was very difficult for him not to look at Ben, crumpled and bleeding and sobbing. He tried his best to control his anger with Liam, but he knew he went too far. From Liam’s blazing eyes as he left the room, Hux knew he would cause trouble down the road, but he didn’t have time to deal with that at the moment. For the first time in his life, he had someone to care of that took precedence.

Hux was pulled out of his reverie when he finally pulled into his own driveway. He closed the gate behind him and turned off the car right next to the side door. When the engine turned off, Hux sat in the silence for a few breaths. He was troubled by all the strange feelings and impulses he’d felt tonight. This wasn’t like him. He was supposed to be impenetrable. He looked at the unconscious Ben in the backseat. Something about him was different. Hux just didn’t know what.

Hux got out of the car and walked around to the back, contemplating the task ahead of him with a sigh. With a great deal of difficulty, he managed to lever Ben into a sitting position and get him into the house. Ben was out cold, and heavier than he looked, so this took a great deal of effort. By the time Hux had Ben inside and upstairs, he’d nearly dropped him a few times.

Hux deposited Ben in the guest room. Not thinking, he dropped him flat on his back. Even in sleep, Ben jerked and moaned in pain, his brows drawing together in an unconscious frown. Hux watched this in silence for a moment before turning him over.

Hux traced the marks on Ben’s back with a finger. They were raised red and angry, and that possessive jealousy rose up in Hux’s chest again. _He_ wanted to have been the one to have made them. He shouldn’t. Ben was a tool, chosen for his vulnerability and malleability. Hux shouldn’t be taking a personal interest. There was so much on the line and he was endangering everything by getting attached. Before tonight, he wouldn’t have said it was possible.

Hux pressed a thumb against a spot where three lash marks intersected. Ben gave a lurching moan and twitched in his sleep. Hux’s blood sang and he did it again, harder. Ben whimpered this time. His head turned to the side and he frowned fitfully, unconscious but still in pain on some level. Hux thought about adding some marks of his own before Ben woke up, demonstrating that ownership he couldn’t help but feel.

No. He couldn’t. Enough damage had been done tonight, and Hux still didn’t even know what state Ben would be in psychologically when he woke up. He had some damage control to do.

Hux examined the two nasty wounds left by Liam, the fury he’d left behind at the party curdling in his stomach. They would most likely scar, and were bad enough they were stretching the limits of Hux’s first-aid knowledge. He didn’t want to involve a doctor unless strictly necessary.

Before he left the room to get supplies to patch him up, Hux took a moment to look at Ben, flat on his stomach and dead to the world. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t taken a moment to admire Ben before now. Convenient or not, Hux wouldn’t have chosen Ben if he hadn’t been attracted to him. However, that simple lust was now complicated. The tumble of dark hair over his feverish brow, the parted mouth, the long fingers curled into a light fist. All of it was mixed with an inconvenient slew of emotions he didn’t care for.

Hux didn’t like complicated.

When Hux returned to the bedroom, Ben had moved onto his side, and his eyes were open. Hux froze for a second, thinking Ben had regained consciousness, but after taking a closer look at the glassiness of his eyes, Hux realized Ben would never remember waking.

Ben reacted dimly to another person coming into the room. He twitched and turned to face him, eyes unfocused. “I’m late…” He slurred. It was a little hard to understand him.

Hux sat on the edge of the bed and brushed the tangled hair out of Ben’s face. “Late for what?”

Ben struggled to sit up with a pained look on his face. He leaned in almost instinctively to Hux’s touch. “For work. He’ll kill me if…”

Ben trailed off vaguely, breathing heavily. Hux was about to respond when Ben’s expression changed into one of sudden pain and he let out a worrying, back-of-the-throat sound.

Hux just narrowly realized what was happening and grabbed the trash can and positioned it in front of Ben just in time. He grimaced while Ben threw up what sounded like everything in his stomach. Hux looked away in disgust. He had never once in his life done this for another person, and he couldn’t say he cared for it much.

When it sounded like Ben was done, Hux put the trash can down and massaged the back of Ben’s neck. Ben had his head and shoulders hanging off the side of the bed, and he was supporting his weight on his forearms. His eyes were closed, and he was breathing shallowly.

Hux made a move to stand up. “Okay, I’m going to…”

Ben made another meaty sound. It was a closer call this time, but Hux managed to get the trash can in time.

This time, when Ben was done he collapsed on the bed, eyes unfocused, a little feverish, face twisted in a grimace of dull pain. He started shivering and only calmed when Hux placed a steady hand on the back of his neck. Hux marveled at the heat baking off of Ben. They sat in silence until Hux was sure he wasn’t going to throw up again the second he stood up.

Hux emptied the trash can and came back, contemplating Ben in silence. His immediate instinct was to leave Ben to suffer through the aftereffects of the drug he’d been given alone. Hux had things to do tonight. He didn’t like to waste time, and sitting by someone’s bedside was the very definition of a waste of time.

Still, for some strange reason Hux couldn’t explain, he hesitated to leave the room. Eventually, he sat down beside Ben again, running his fingers through Ben’s hair. Ben didn’t seem to mind. Not that he _could_ mind much of anything in his state.

Ben threw up five more times. By the last two times, there wasn’t anything left, so he wasn’t doing anything but dry-heaving, and the muscle contractions were so painful he sobbed weakly by the time he was done. Hux sat through it all, anger rising in him again. What the hell had Morgan _given_ Ben? He’d trusted all of that to her, but now he was starting to think he shouldn’t have.

Eventually, Ben dropped from his feverish, half-conscious state back into deep sleep again. Hux sat at the edge of the bed, watching him, a small frown gracing his features. Normally, Hux would be using any extra time to plan, but his thinking mind was curiously quiet.

Hux sat there almost all night.

* * *

When Ben woke up, it was with none of the usual comforting amnesia of deep sleep. He remembered everything from last night. He lay there in blank shock for a while, his head pounding, his stomach roiling. He couldn’t remember a time he’d felt sicker. Counterintuitively, something about the pure physical misery he found himself in did something to mute the horror he felt. His emotions felt curiously muted. He was sure that wouldn’t last.

He expected to find himself in his own bed. He’d known Hux long enough to know he wasn’t exactly the nurturing type. Frankly, he was shocked Hux hadn’t just left him at that party to get home by himself. He should feel grateful Hux even bothered to get him out of the house.

Ben could feel the dull weight of panic waiting in the wings somewhere as the full weight of what happened to him threatened to overtake him. He tried his best to forestall the inevitable nervous breakdown by focusing on practical concerns. He began the mental gymnastics of trying to figure out how he was going to get down to the corner store and get painkillers and bandages. Lots of painkillers. He honestly didn’t know if he would be able to patch himself up, but there was nobody to call. He felt like one great ball of pain, and groaned, revising his plan. He didn’t know if he would be able to even get out of bed.

His back throbbed and stung, feeling like it was just a swollen mound of pain. The two spots where Liam had hit him were especially bad, heavy knots of pain like stones. Beyond that, he felt a little delirious. His head was pounding like after a particularly bad hangover, and his whole body felt weak and feverish.

Before Ben could despair too much about being alone in his apartment, he realized something about the bed he was laying in. It was soft; much softer than his own bargain-bin, secondhand mattress with the scratchy sheets. Bigger too. He felt like he was floating in a comfortable sea.

He opened his eyes on the unfamiliar sight. He wasn’t in his apartment. He was in someone’s bedroom. A handsomely-furnished, well-decorated one.

Ben’s heart started racing, and he struggled up on his elbows, about all the movement he could handle right now. He looked around himself wildly in panic. Was he still in Calvin and Alexandra’s house? He thought he remembered Hux taking him away last night, but maybe he was wrong. Maybe he’d been more delirious than he thought. Maybe Hux had brought him back after he’d passed out because they wanted to hurt him some more. Do something worse than they already had. He noticed with unease that he was naked under the sheets. When he’d been unconscious, had they…

Ben felt his entire body loosen when he heard Hux’s voice out in the hallway. It sounded like he was talking on the phone with someone, and the discussion was getting quite heated. Ben collapsed back onto the pillows and shuddered, relief flowing over him. He didn’t think he was exactly… _safe_ with Hux, but if he had to choose between Hux and the well-dressed socialites that had terrorized him last night, he’d pick Hux every time.

Now that he had a moment to breathe, he recognized the room as one of the guest bedrooms in Hux’s house. He wasn’t good enough to be in Hux’s bedroom, apparently, but Ben was frankly shocked that he was here at all. He would have thought that Hux would have just dumped him at his own apartment and expected him to clean himself up.

Hux’s footsteps came closer like he was pacing up and down the hall. “That’s not the point, Morgan. He has a fever and he’s vomited everything in his stomach. If he’d done it one more time, I would have been forced to get a real doctor.”

Ben frowned, for the first time realizing how achy his stomach muscles felt and how empty and shaky he felt. He didn’t remember any of that at all. As far as he knew, he’d been completely out from the time he’d passed out in Hux’s car until now. He must be sicker than he thought.

There was a long pause, and when Hux spoke again, he sounded furious. Ben was so tired he didn’t even bother analyzing the fact that hearing that tone used in defense of him was hugely gratifying. “I provided you with his weight and height, and I would have expected that would have been enough for you to properly calculate a dosage without getting him dangerously ill.”

This cut like a cold wind through Ben’s woozy complacency. He’d gathered that Hux had been fully aware of what those people were going to do to him, but being aware of it and actively colluding in drugging him were two different things. Ben wracked his brain, wondering how Hux would even have that information, deciding he’d probably taken note when he was getting Ben fitted for the clothes. He shut his eyes. Even that had been a ruse to trick him.

“Well, it seems to me that you should be spending more time in the lab doing what you’re paid that exorbitant rate for instead of behind your desk or at two-hour lunches downtown. Don’t forget who it was that got you that position.” Hux hissed, and then his voice faded down the hallway again.

Ben lay flat on the bed, too sick to even think about moving. There were so many thoughts vying for attention in his head. The pain he was in, what had happened last night, the fact that Hux had been actively complicit, even encouraged it, except when he’d decided a line had been crossed. It was too horrible to get his aching head around, so Ben stopped thinking. He just closed his eyes and drifted for a while.

Some time later, Ben was roused by the door opening. He opened his eyes blearily to see Hux walking in holding a glass of water. His hair looked a little flatter than usual, and he actually seemed a little tired, like he’d been up all night. This was the most unkempt he’d ever seen Hux.

Upon seeing Hux’s face in a somewhat more lucid state than last night, Ben didn’t know how to feel. Two instincts were fighting for control in his chest. On the one hand, he all but knew for certain that Hux had specifically told him to come to that party so he could be passed around as a party favor to be tormented. He’d dressed him up to look appealing and actively encouraged the hosts to drug him and do whatever they wanted with him. Last night had been the worst night of Ben’s life. He’d been humiliated and half-tortured, all for entertainment.

On the other hand, Hux _had_ saved him. No matter how selfish or driven by jealousy, Hux had put a stop to it, had carried him out of that house, and taken him home where he’d apparently been looking after him all night. That was more than Ben could ever have expected out of Hux in a thousand years.

Hux walked a little closer and set the glass of water down on the bedside table. “How are you feeling?” He asked, somewhat cautiously.

Feeling a little too vulnerable in his current position, Ben tried to get up on his elbows again, but he must have torn something in his back, because he hissed in pain and laid back down. His eyes were drawn by the water. “Thirsty,” he croaked from a parched throat.

Hux sat down at the edge of the bed. Ben flinched a little and inched back. The memory of being held down last night was a little too fresh, and his sense of trust wasn’t exactly helped along by the fact that he was naked and completely vulnerable.

Hux saw his instinctive fear but didn’t comment. There was something about his tired state that softened his edges. He didn’t seem quite as severe and intimidating as he usually was. He picked up the water but didn’t offer it to Ben right away. “You can’t have all of this right now. You can drink a little, but I don’t want to have to clean vomit out of these sheets. Okay? No complaining.”

Ben nodded, by now so used to capitulating when Hux used that sharp tone on him. Very slowly and carefully, Ben lifted his head up and Hux held the glass up to his lips. When Ben tried to grab the glass with one hand, Hux grabbed his wrist and pressed it back down into the sheets. Ben felt a momentary frisson of fear, this being too similar to last night.

“I don’t want you spilling either.” Hux said softly but firmly.

Ben relented, like he always did, allowing Hux to tip the glass so he could easily drink. The cool water was heavenly on his dry throat, and although he didn’t get nearly as much as he would want, by the time Hux took the glass away, his stomach was roiling just a little bit, so he was probably right.

Ben was unable to support his head like he was, so he rested his head on his forearms, closing his eyes again and trying to push away some of the swimminess in his brain. He could feel Hux watching him, but didn’t have it in him to care.

Ben jumped when he felt a hand on his forehead, but realized Hux was checking for fever. “You’ve been sick all night. I was getting a little worried, but you seem to have pulled through now.”

“Well. I was drugged.” Ben muttered reproachfully, his extreme exhaustion giving him the courage to say what he otherwise never would have dared.

Hux stiffened, and after a moment, his hand left Ben’s forehead. “Would you prefer that I had left you there?” Again, Ben heard the slight lilt of guilt in Hux’s voice. He couldn’t trust that, though. He had to stay clear-headed. After what Hux had been willing to do to him last night, he couldn’t trust anything Hux said.

Ben shuddered, thinking about what would have happened if Hux hadn’t come when he did. Liam would probably have continued to whip Ben until he was seriously injured, and then he and the rest of them would probably have taken their turns at him, and there would have been nothing he could have done to stop them. “No.” He said quietly.

Hux started to pull the blankets off of Ben’s back. Ben flinched and tried to scuttle away from him, brought to a halt by his aching body. He looked up at Hux with wide eyes. “What are you doing?” He asked breathlessly, still acutely aware of his naked state, the memory of how helpless he had been last night still a bit too fresh.

Hux held a hand up like he was comforting a skittish animal. “I need to check your back. The bandages might need to be changed.”

Ben winced, thinking about the agony of the sharp buckle whipping him. His back twinged in pain. Still, he didn’t quite want Hux getting any closer to him. “Why aren’t I wearing clothes?” He asked shakily, getting more and more nervous the more of last night that came back to him. This still seemed like the most pertinent question right now.

“I thought that having clothing on might hurt too badly.” Hux explained patiently.

Ben was troubled by the yawning blank of last night after Hux rescued him and before he woke up in this room. He didn’t like not knowing what had happened to him in those hours. He didn’t like the idea of Hux undressing him while he was unconscious, about what else Hux might have done with his pliant, unresisting body.

“It’s nothing I haven’t seen already.” Hux said. “And besides. You didn’t have much on to begin with.”

Ben flinched like he had been struck, his cheeks blazing in leftover shame. It was just coming back to him how many people had seen him, drugged and humiliated, last night, how many people he might have to see in the future. “Why did you do that to me?” He asked, his voice cracking a little.

Hux sighed. “I didn’t do anything to you. If you’ll recall, I got you out.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it! I heard you! You – you told them about me, you sent me there on purpose! Stop twisting my words around on me!” Ben said a little shrilly, realizing that he was not cutting a particularly intimidating figure lying naked and injured on Hux’s bed with a sheet pulled up to his chest to cover himself, but he couldn’t stop it. Just once, he wanted a straight answer out of Hux. He just wanted the truth. No spin.

Hux’s expression darkened, and Ben realized that he might have gone a little far. He didn’t know why he kept forgetting how dangerous it was to cross Hux. “Do you want to try that again?” Hux said silkily.

Ben blinked rapidly, mortified to realize tears were falling down his cheeks. No matter what, he always ended up feeling like a stupid kid around Hux. He began to struggle around, trying to get up and out of bed. “No! I don’t! I want to go home! I want –”

He screamed a little hoarsely when Hux leaned over and pushed him flat back down on the bed, one hand around his wrist and one firmly on the back of his neck. Ben was far too weak to even begin to put up a reasonable fight. He writhed a little in Hux’s grip, tearing at his back, which only reminded him viscerally of the pain and terror he had gone through last night.

“ _Get off of me_ ,” Ben sobbed, his free hand grasping wildly and finding nothing but bedsheets.

Hux kept the pressure up easily. He was very carefully not putting any weight on any of Ben’s existing injuries, but he very clearly wasn’t going to let him go. “You need to calm down. You’re going to hurt yourself.” Hux said firmly.

Ben squirmed around, his breath coming quick even though Hux wasn’t putting any pressure on his windpipe. One of his flailing feet hit the sharp corner of the foot of the bed, and he cried out. “Let me go!”

Hux wasn’t even breaking a sweat holding him down. He was maddeningly calm and reasonable in the face of Ben’s panic. “I will when you calm down. You’re going to tear your back open like that and cause yourself more pain. Ben, I need you to breathe. Settle down.”

Ben struggled even harder for a few seconds before realizing it was pointless. He fell limp and started crying harder, everything that had happened to him last night coming out.

Hux didn’t let him up, but his thumb began to rub slow circles on the back of Ben’s neck. “That’s it. It’s okay, Ben.”

“Why d-did you let them do that to me?” Ben cried. At the end of the day, this was the primary breach of trust. Not that Hux would allow Ben to be hurt, but that he would allow other people to hurt him.

Hux’s voice was low and sonorous. He seemed much more at ease now, dealing with a desperate, crying Ben. Any uncertainty he might have demonstrated before was gone now. “Ben, it’s just the cost of doing business. It was just supposed to be a bit of fun. I didn’t know that Liam was going to take it so far. If I had, I wouldn’t have let you go.”

“You let them _drug_ me!” Ben forced out, half his face pressed down into the sheets, wondering how he always ended up in this kind of position with Hux around. The bed under him grew wet with tears.

“I hoped that would have made it easier for you. I made it clear that they weren’t allowed to touch you. The second I found out what they were doing to you, I came and got you.” Hux said, like all this was perfectly reasonable.

Ben struggled to articulate that that wasn’t the point. It didn’t matter if Hux only meant to allow them to toy with him but not fuck him. That wasn’t the _point_! The point was that Hux had allowed it at all! That he didn’t care about Ben as a person was obvious, that he would allow this wanton cruelty. “ _But they did!_ They did hurt me! Your psychotic brother tried to flay all the skin off my back, and you – you put me there!” Ben babbled.

Hux sighed again, and Ben wanted to tear his eyes out. “Ben. Will you stay still if I let you go?”

Ben pressed his face flat into the bed and screamed into the mattress, the thick padding muffling the sound somewhat. He could never win an argument with Hux. Never. So why did he even try?

Hux shook him by the scruff a little. “ _Ben_.” Hux said somewhat urgently.

Ben stopped screaming, and forced his entire body to go limp, but he didn’t look back at Hux. He wondered if he could suffocate like this, and how long it would take.

Hux waited patiently for Ben’s breathing to even out before letting him go. Ben stayed where he was, not having any desire to be grabbed and held down again. With Hux, it seemed like the best tactic was always to go limp like a rabbit in a fox’s jaws.

There was a shifting as Hux got into another position. “Ben. Look at me.” Hux said softly. “ _Please_.”

It was the please that did it. Exhausted, Ben turned his head to see Hux lying parallel on the bed with him, head right across from his. Hux had his head propped up, even in this show, he had to be in a superior position. Ben stared at him with red-rimmed eyes. “I thought they were going to rape me.” He croaked, the elephant in the room now hanging out there. “I didn’t know what was happening, and I didn’t know where you were, and I was helpless and scared. I’ve never been so scared in my life.”

Hux brought up a hand to brush aside a lock of Ben’s hair, but Ben flinched away, and Hux stopped, honoring his wish not to be touched. And Ben _knew_ it was only a show, that he was just trying to manipulate him and he shouldn’t feel grateful for this tiny, meaningless gesture, but he did.

“I know that you were scared.” Hux said, frowning in thought. He looked like he was working up to saying something important, and Ben just let him think. He was too tired to do anything else.

“Ben, I have to say something. I don’t think I realized until last night, when I heard you screaming from the other room. I am not often… affected. I don’t know why that is. I’m sure it was the way I was raised, but I have always been very good at compartmentalizing. I don’t allow anything from work to affect my personal life, and vice versa. I know that most think me cold, and I suppose that’s fair. I am.”

Ben had temporarily forgotten his aches and pains. He was transparently fascinated by this naked display of emotion from Hux. Hux was looking down at him with some emotion in his eyes Ben had never seen before. It wasn’t anger or condescension or even sadistic glee. Ben was very familiar with what all of those looked like on Hux’s face. This was something else. Hux raised a slow hand so as not to startle Ben, and traced it over the length of Ben’s body, from head to toe, never touching him, just hovering a few inches above the line of his body under the sheet. Ben shuddered, this feeling strangely erotic despite the fact that Hux wasn’t touching him.

Hux frowned, and continued. Ben could see that whatever this was was hard for him to say. “However… Something about you is different. I didn’t realize this until last night. When we were at the tailor’s, I didn’t want anyone to see you in those clothes but me.”

The sudden possessive growl to Hux’s voice made Ben shiver.

“All night, I couldn’t concentrate on anything. Not the party or the company. I was just thinking about what you were going through, and I must admit, the thought of other people with their… hands… all over you… was deeply unpleasant. And then when I heard you screaming, I couldn’t stop myself. I might have strained relations a bit with the Marshalls, but I…” Hux trailed off again. Ben stared, fascinated. He felt like for the first time, he was being let into something, that Hux was showing him his secret self, that he’d never done this for anyone before.

Hux locked eyes with Ben, and they were so icy and intent that Ben felt hypnotized, trapped by a spotlight. “You’re mine. I don’t want anyone to touch you. I will not allow what happened last night to happen again. You are mine, and mine alone.”

Ben shivered, so strong was Hux’s statement. He was quiet. Hux couldn’t possibly expect him to believe this, could he? From day one, he’d made it abundantly clear what they were to each other. Sure, Ben might have been fooled for a while there, he might have been naïve enough to hope that Hux wanted him for some reason other than vicious, selfish possessiveness, but last night had been a wake-up call. Things with Hux had only been getting worse, not better. What happened last night could happen again. Hux was dangerous, and if he harbored any illusions about that before, he certainly knew it now.

However, the effect this kind of statement had on Ben was immense, and he was sure Hux knew it. All he had wanted this entire time was just an ounce of approval or care from Hux, who usually morseled out validation like he was rationing it. Ben had capitulated to Hux at every turn, had submitted to his whims and his desires, and his timeline. Yes, sometimes he was forced into it, and sometimes he did it of his own volition, but it was difficult for him to reject the one thing he wanted most when it was being offered up to him like on a platter.

Now, Hux was not only telling him that he cared about him, but that he was one of the _only_ ones he had ever cared about. The only reason Ben could think of why Hux would say this was because he knew he’d pushed too far last night, that despite all that Hux held over his head, being drugged and tortured was too much. Hux knew he was in danger of losing his grip on Ben, so he was only saying this to manipulate Ben into staying.

But what choice did he have? If anything, last night made him all the more afraid to question Hux’s authority. If he continued to push Hux away now, Hux could change his mind in a second, drop him off at someone’s doorstep and tell them they could do whatever they wanted to him, this time with no caveats. The very thought made his skin crawl and his heart hammer. He didn’t have a prayer of resisting Hux. Hell, he couldn’t even sit up on his own right now.

With a curious form of dread taking over his heart, Ben realized that he had to play a very dangerous game. He had to make Hux think he believed his manipulation, that after everything that had happened last night, Ben would ever, _could_ ever, forgive him. Because Hux had to be lying. Right? There was no other reasonable explanation.

So with leftover terror still gripping him by the neck, with anxiety churning his stomach, Ben opened his mouth, not sure what he was going to say until he spoke.

“Do you… really mean that?” Ben asked cautiously, being sure to inject a great deal of vulnerability into his voice. He didn’t have to act that part. After last night, he felt raw and scooped out.

Hux reached down and brushed some of his tears away. This time, Ben let him do it. He felt hypnotized. “Yes. You interest me. I’d like to keep you.”

That statement sent daggers of ice into Ben’s back. He made himself smile, but was sure it was just a watery imitation. “Well, I’m not going anywhere right now.”

Hux cupped his cheek with one hand, still with that thoughtful look on his face. “No. You’re not.”

This time, when Hux leaned in to kiss him, Ben didn’t push him away. He tilted his face up to meet him. Hux was cool against his feverish skin, and it felt good. He was standing at the edge of a very dangerous precipice, but as long as he toed the line, Hux wouldn’t let him fall. Ben’s head swum.

After that, Ben settled down in the bed, head a nauseous buzz. He allowed Hux to remove the sheet covering him and check on his back. He hissed when Hux removed the bandages over the two worst spots and replaced them with fresh ones. He felt sleepily muddled, the leftover fear and embarrassment from last night somewhat canceled out in this moment by Hux’s promise and his cool, steady hands on Ben’s skin. He felt a dull discomfort with the fact that once again he was naked and Hux was not, but he was too tired to really care. He didn’t know what the future held, but right now, in this moment, he would just float.

After his bandages had been changed, Ben fell asleep immediately, knowing that Hux was there bringing a certain comfort.

When he woke up again, he was alone, but there was a full glass of water sitting on the bedside table. Ben took a deep breath and tested out sitting up. His back felt like a tight map of pain, but after weathering a dizzy moment, he managed to get up.

Ben limped to the small, attached bathroom, desperately holding onto every piece of furniture on the way there. His legs felt rubbery and unsteady, and this just reminded him of running from Liam and Morgan, unable to get away, panicked and confused. By the time he got into the bathroom, he was panting from effort, and he had to sit down on the edge of the tub for a moment and take a few calming breaths.

He leveraged himself to his feet and twisted around, trying his best to see his back in the mirror. He blanched. There were red, raised lines along his lower back, ass, and thighs. Again, the knowledge that Hux had allowed this to happen to him rose up, and he pushed it down, this time somewhat uneasily. Hux had told him that it would never happen again, and he had no other choice but to believe him. For the moment.

With a hissed intake of breath, he peeled back one of the bandages along his hip and saw a nasty wound that would most likely scar. He shuddered, reminding himself of Hux’s promise. It was the only thing he had to hold on to.

He must have been more out of it than he realized, because he was still sitting in the bathroom idly tracing the edges of the bandage when Hux found him and urged him back to bed.

Hux had him drink tea, and the speed with which Ben grew sleepy made him wonder if there was something in it. That was the only coherent thought he managed before falling asleep.

When he was woken again, it was morning, and his head felt cottony. Hux was leaning over him, fully dressed for work. Ben groggily did calculations and realized it must be Monday.

“I need to go into the office. I’ll stop by over lunch and bring you something to eat. I want you to rest. No getting out of this bed, understand?” Hux said, running a hand down his arm.

Ben rolled onto his side and made a muzzy sound. “I f-feel weird…” He said slowly, finding it hard to form words.

Hux nodded condescendingly. “That’s because you’re still healing.”

Ben struggled to keep his eyes open, even had trouble focusing his eyes on Hux. He felt like he was being slowly rotated inside of a huge, downy cloud. “Wh-where’s my phone?” He asked, realizing he hadn’t actually seen it since the party. What if someone had tried to get in touch with him? He was half-hoping for an olive branch from Rey.

“I have it in a safe place. You don’t need it right now. You need to sleep. Be good, Ben.” Hux placed a kiss on Ben’s forehead, and that was the last thing Ben remembered before falling asleep again.

He floated back to consciousness sometime, and felt a little more aware. He felt full, like he’d recently eaten. He lay facedown on the bed, staring at the wall in groggy confusion. Had Hux come by and given him lunch like he’d promised? He must have, but Ben didn’t remember any of it. He didn’t like this loose, cottony consciousness. It made him feel like he could very easily be untethered from the earth.

It took him a while to form coherent thought. If it was… Monday afternoon, he’d been gone for two days now. No matter what Hux said, if someone had tried to call him and he hadn’t answered, they would probably be worried. He was hoping for Rey, but his mom sometimes called on the weekends, and he really didn’t need her going on the warpath because he didn’t answer his phone.

Ben decided he needed to get up, find his phone, just make sure he wasn’t reported missing or something. He forced himself to his feet, concerned to realize it was harder to do now than it was yesterday. Shouldn’t he be getting better, not worse?

It was a hard-fought battle just to get to the door. Ben’s head was swimming so badly it felt like the whole room was spinning around him. He thought the likelihood of him getting down the stairs was pretty low, but he’d try his best. He might have to just go down on his ass. When he finally made it, he tried the door handle. It didn’t turn.

Ben frowned groggily, tried it again. It definitely didn’t budge. He tried turning it the other way. Same thing. It rattled slightly, but didn’t turn. Ben’s mind was far too sluggish to put these pieces together. Was he really out of it so much that he couldn’t even open a door? That seemed unlikely, but since the other option was a little too sinister to consider ( _He locked you in_ , a voice hissed in his head), that must be it.

Ben stumbled back to bed and tried to think seriously about this, but the thought wouldn’t stay in his head for more than a few seconds before slipping away like silk, so he found himself dropping off into a deep sleep again.

All in all, Ben recovered at Hux’s house for a few days. He spent most of that time in a foggy cloud, so he must have been sicker than he thought. Hux would sit with him in the evenings, and told him he went ahead and marked Ben down for a week’s vacation. Everyone at work thought Ben was visiting family. Foggily, Ben was overtaken by gratitude to Hux that he wouldn’t have to come up with an excuse. Also, the prospect that he would have to see anyone from that party at work was a little too much to handle right now, so he would take this period of rest. Gladly.

Eventually, Ben’s back healed enough so that he was able to sit up and even lie on it. The red marks faded, and would eventually disappear entirely, so the only thing left was his two more serious wounds, which scabbed over to the point where the pain was bearable.

Hux left for work every day, and Ben stayed in bed in a fog. Hux left him some books and crossword puzzles, but most of the time he was too foggy to concentrate on that for long. He practiced walking around the room a few times, although he didn’t try the door again. He decided he didn’t want to know. What he didn’t know couldn’t hurt him. On one of his walks around the room, he found the family photo he’d seen the last time he’d been in here. He grimaced on seeing Liam’s young face, and turned it around so he wouldn’t have to look at it. If Hux noticed this, he didn’t say anything.

During this period of healing, Ben had some strange dreams. He thought he woke up once to feel someone in the bed with him. He made a muffled sound of confusion only to find there was a hand over his mouth. Ben panted, head spinning, unsure if this was real or not. It was dark, and he couldn’t see anything. He passed out quickly before he could decide one way or the other.

When he awoke the next morning, he was alone in bed, and he felt a little steadier than he had before. He decided it had only been a dream.

When Hux determined he was healed enough, he helped Ben down the stairs after providing him with clothes to wear. Ben was relieved to see they were his own clothes. He thought he might have lost it if he had to wear the same clothes from the party. Of course, that realization was followed by the somewhat troubling proposition of Hux entering his apartment and taking his things. It wasn’t as if Ben really had anything to hide, but his areas of privacy were shrinking more and more every day.

Hux made him an omelet and watched him carefully until he ate the whole thing. Ben still felt a little shaky, but mostly okay. He brushed his hair back from his head and looked at Hux carefully. They hadn’t gotten close to mentioning the night of the party, and his new plan of survival had him on edge. What he had to ask was simple enough, but his uncertainty over how Hux would react was a little disconcerting.

“Um… Hux?” He asked, pushing the dregs of his food around his plate. “Can I have my phone back now?”

Hux was at the sink washing the pan. He didn’t look around. “Of course, Ben. It’s by the fridge.”

Ben let out a quiet breath, relieved this hadn’t become yet another opportunity for Hux to demonstrate his dominance. Of course Hux wasn’t going to just… keep his phone or anything.

Ben picked it up, half-expecting there to be nothing, for Hux to have deleted messages again. The thought threatened to shake what little calm he’d managed to build up against the terror from the party. Once he was outside of Hux’s sight, he could allow himself the freedom to process what had happened to him.

To his unutterable relief, he had missed quite a few notifications. He had dozens of emails waiting, and a few missed calls and texts. Ben was half-hoping for Rey, but no such luck. Most of them were from his mom. The last text was from yesterday: _Call me. Now_. He cringed a little, imagining nightmare scenarios of his mom calling in Homeland Security or something. He didn’t relish this conversation.

Hux turned around from the sink, drying his hands. He looked like he belonged in a magazine for post-modern architecture, with his neat hair and nice shirt pushed up to the elbows. “I had a lovely conversation with your mother yesterday.”

Ben felt a nasty shock and stared at Hux. “You did _what?_ ”

Hux nodded at Ben’s phone in his hand. “I looked at your phone, and saw she was trying to get a hold of you. I didn’t want her… causing a fuss, so I just gave her a call and explained the situation.”

He saw Ben flush red, and smiled thinly. “Not the entire situation. I just let her know you were feeling under the weather, and you would call her when you felt better.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Ben asked, feeling highly uncomfortable with the idea of Hux and Leia interacting.

“You were in no position to talk to anyone. I didn’t want you saying anything unwise in the heat of the moment. For your protection more than mine.” Hux added, studying Ben closely to see how he would take this.

Ben bit his lip, looking down at the counter. There was a time when this would have been an almost unforgivable breach of his privacy, but he supposed things had gone too far for that. Like it or not, Hux was in his life now, and he would just have to deal with Hux making decisions like this.

“Okay…” He muttered. He gathered his coat up and started putting his shoes on. All of a sudden, he wanted to get out of here.

Hux stopped him on his way to the door. “Are you forgetting something?” He asked, voice a low warning.

Ben turned around, heart pounding all of a sudden. Hux stepped forward, and Ben backed up until he hit the door, wondering how he always ended up feeling like a prey animal around Hux. Hux cupped his jaw and drew him in for a kiss. After a moment of uncertainty, Ben melted into him, wondering how it was he could feel like he was being protected and like he was in danger of being eaten all at the same time. Hux bit his lip lightly before he let him go.

Ben stumbled into the bracingly cold street outside feeling a little dazed after his week of convalescence.

* * *

The next week came and went blessedly without circumstance. Ben honestly didn’t know if he would be able to handle it if anything more happened. He went back to work, and although every time he passed someone in the hallways, he’d flinch a little, worried about whether or not they had seen him at the party last week, he didn’t recognize anyone, and nobody gave him a second glance. Maybe Hux was telling the truth about keeping their relationship under wraps. Maybe the people that had seen him at the party had been hand-vetted. Knew how to keep a secret. He didn’t know.

Everyone, that is, except for Phasma. He remembered seeing Hux talking with her at the party shortly before he had been drugged, and he knew it was stupid to assume that she didn’t know what Hux’s plans were.

He thought he was holding it together pretty well, at work, anyway, until a meeting shortly before a long weekend. All three partners were present as well as Ben and Sam Dawson. Normally, Ben might be a little upset that Sam was also a part of this meeting, given that it seemed to be a sort of subtle dig against his competency, but he was at the point where he didn’t really care about things like that anymore, and he had to be honest, he appreciated not being the only subordinate in the room with the three sharks.

They were discussing a client, one of their first and therefore most important clients and some lawsuit they were all involved in. Ben found it hard to concentrate on what they were saying, so just tried to dutifully take notes and look attentive. He was fighting a headache, and had found himself feeling a little spacey all week. At the most inopportune moments, he couldn’t stop thinking about being kissed against his will, the weakness in his limbs as he tried to run away, the cruel laughter of the other party guests as he was humiliated. Despite Hux rescuing him, that didn’t exactly make the memory of what had happened go away.

He realized too late that Snoke had said something to him. He blinked back into awareness.

“Sorry, what did you say?” He said.

Snoke was frowning at him from the head of the table. The hard light from the overhead illuminated the bald spot on his head. Ben tried not to stare. He knew Snoke hated it. “I _said_ I wanted the billing statements for the last year sent directly to the accounting department by the end of the day. Do you think you can handle that?”

Ben winced at the condescension and mumbled something in agreement, jotting that note down and hoping to god he would actually remember. He had been having a hard time keeping things in his head recently.

Unluckily, Snoke wasn’t willing to let this go. He was still staring Ben down with a bullish expression. “On second thought, maybe I should send a babysitter to hold your hand through it. Normally, I wouldn’t think you’d need supervision to send an email, but I’m beginning to think Hux only keeps you around for your looks.”

Those words hit Ben in the chest like an icy dagger. He couldn’t help the panicked half-glance he sent over at Hux. Would he say anything? Get Snoke to back off? Hux was writing something down and seemed like he wasn’t paying attention. Ben was on his own.

Snoke noticed his half-glance and sneered. “Oh, I suppose you get Hux to fight all your battles for you, hmm? Need him to clean up your messes?”

Ben’s face felt tight and hot with embarrassment. He thought they could probably see it from space. He struggled to speak without his voice shaking. “I will do that right after this meeting. Sir.”

Snoke narrowed his eyes but then thankfully moved on. As he looked down at his papers and fought not to burst into tears, he caught sight of Sam on the other side of the table giving him a concerned look. He tuned it out, unable to handle that on top of everything else.

He thought about how miserable his life had become. It didn’t use to be this way. He used to go out on the weekend and have fun and not have to spend all his time worrying about what a possessive sadist wanted out of him and doing his best to pretend to the rest of the world like nothing was wrong. He was exhausted.

By the end of the meeting, Ben stood up and was distributing a round of files to everyone at the table. He tried not to look at Hux very much, not wanting to give Snoke any more ammunition. The worst part of all of this was that he could never predict when Hux would protect him or not. He demanded that Ben act a certain way, but then allowed other people to humiliate him when he couldn’t do a thing to protect himself. It just wasn’t fair.

Hux spoke up now that there was a lull in business. He was looking right at Snoke. “Snoke, I think I would prefer that in the future you leave the management of my employees to me.”

There was a pause in the room, a long silence. Snoke was staring at Hux, looking a little surprised. This was certainly the first time that Ben had ever seen any of the partners disagree with each other. He imagined that if they did, they did it behind closed doors where their employees didn’t see it.

Snoke recovered his composure fairly quickly. “Management is a joint production, Hux. And I feel like I don’t need to remind you of the terms contingent on you joining the firm.”

Ben had no idea what that was supposed to mean, and from the looks of it, Sam didn’t either, but Hux and Phasma both stiffened. Hux narrowed his eyes at Snoke, and his words came slow and measured. Ben knew him well enough now to know when he was angry but trying to hide it for the sake of polite society, and he was _pissed_.

“No, I have a very good memory. I’m simply stating the obvious. My secretary. My responsibility.” Hux said icily.

_Mine_. Ben didn’t miss the possessive weight Hux put on that word, and his paranoia was so great that he was sure everyone else heard it too.

Snoke didn’t back down from a fight. His shoulders squared. “Well, if _your_ secretary didn’t have his mind on… _other things_ ,” Snoke put a decided emphasis on that last part, and Ben’s stomach roiled because you would have to be as stupid as Snoke thought he was to miss the subtext of that. “Maybe I wouldn’t have to take matters into my own hands.”

Phasma chose this moment to jump in. She was glaring back at Snoke with no particular love. For the first time, it occurred to Ben to wonder what exactly the relationship was between the three of them. Hux and Phasma seemed well-matched, certainly, but Snoke was another breed. Them working together didn’t quite make sense.

“Oh, lay off the kid, Snoke. You know how out of it you are after you get back from a vacation,” Phasma said.

The blood rushed through Ben’s ears. He thought he was going to collapse. Did they _know?_ Did _Snoke_ know? Hux had told him he’d told everyone at work Ben was visiting family, but what if that wasn’t true? He tasted bile and grimly fought it down.

He shoved the last packet across the table at Sam. “Excuse me, I need to…”

Ben fled the room, not even taking the time to take his notes or jacket. He needed to be somewhere private, and he needed it _now_.

He slammed through the door to the bathroom, and quickly peeked under the stalls to see if anybody was in there. He was alone. He ran into the big stall at the end and just barely managed to slam the door behind him before he was sinking to the ground, shaking and hyperventilating. Ben ran clammy hands over his face and tried to slow his breathing, but it was no use. His mind was going a mile a minute.

He’d been doing… okay this whole week because of the fact that he hadn’t run into anyone who might have seen him at the party, at least as far as he knew. The scant promise of anonymity was the only thing keeping him together. Now that there was a possibility of other people knowing, he was falling apart.

Ben hugged his knees to his chest and wheezed, his stomach roiling and brain galloping with anxiety. He was unable to stop this anxiety attack, had barely been able to make it into the bathroom before losing it.

After a few minutes, the door to the bathroom opened and somebody walked in. Ben tried to get himself under control at least enough that they wouldn’t notice that there was someone having a panic attack in here, but was sure he wasn’t successful. He clamped a hand over his mouth to try and muffle his involuntary keening sounds, but watched with dread as the feet walked slowly over and stopped right outside of his stall.

Ben’s skin flushed with an uncomfortable heat, and he felt the fever-pitch of his panic ratchet up just a little more. He knew it was Hux coming to tell him to get a grip on himself. He honestly didn’t think he could handle Hux right now, and shook even harder.

However, when the person spoke up, it wasn’t Hux. It was Sam. “Is that you in there, Ben?” His voice was soft and careful.

Ben froze in panic. Fuck. _Fuck fuck fuck_. Pretty soon, everyone in the goddamn firm would know how much of a mess he was. He tried to clamp down on his panicked breathing and stayed quiet, hoping Sam would just go away.

On the other side of the door, Sam crouched down. “Hey. Ben. Open the door.”

Ben waited, but Sam didn’t move. “Go away,” he croaked.

“Dude, do you think you’re the first person in this place that’s ever had a panic attack? I’m not judging you, I just want to talk. Come on. Open the door.” Sam said.

Ben hesitated, but he was so starved for normal human connection that wasn’t Hux that he eventually capitulated, easing the door open to see Sam crouched down and leaning against the wall just outside.

Sam saw him and smiled a little. He held up Ben’s jacket and satchel. “I got your stuff together for you. Figured you didn’t want to leave it there.”

Ben grabbed at it, and wiped at his face, hoping he wasn’t crying. That would be an embarrassment too far. “Thanks,” he muttered.

Sam was looking at him in concern, and Ben hated and needed it in equal measure. It had been a while since somebody had just given him simple sympathy with no ulterior motive. “Hey, uh. You okay?”

Ben laughed humorlessly and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Do I look like I’m doing hot?” He said in disbelief, hating the bite as soon as he said it. Sam was only trying to help.

Sam bit his lip and looked like he was searching for words for a moment. “Look. I know we don’t know each other very well, but, uh, I like to consider myself a human being, and I can’t say I haven’t noticed that you’ve been a little… uh… jumpy, lately.”

Ben stared back at Sam, words jostling for attention behind his lips. He had to come up with an excuse, fast, but he couldn’t think of anything even somewhat plausible. “I’m just having some… personal issues. I’ll get over it.”

Sam nodded carefully. It was obvious he didn’t believe him. “Okay. Do these personal issues… um, perhaps have to do with Hux?”

Ben stared back at him, struck quiet. _Shit_. Was it really that obvious? “No!” He protested, but his long silence had been damning enough.

Sam nodded slowly. “You don’t have to tell me, but I saw you after you went to find Hux at the museum that night… You looked really freaked out, and you were gone all last week with almost no notice, and you look even worse now. I just… I’m not blind, man. I can tell something is going on.”

Ben stared wordlessly at him. He apparently was not as good at hiding all of this than he thought. He came close to telling him, but a suspicion crept into his head.

“Why do you care? You just want me to say yes so that you can use that against me somehow.” Ben accused.

Sam frowned. “No, that’s not true! I’m _worried_. I saw your face in that meeting just now!”

Ben struggled to his feet, feeling off-balance but determined to get out of this conversation. “Give me a break! You don’t have any reason to help me. Everything is fine. I’m fine. I don’t need your help.”

Sam stood up too, and he frowned lightly at Ben, like he wanted to say the right thing but didn’t know what. He looked down to Ben’s side and pointed. “You’re bleeding.”

Ben looked down at his left hip, and noticed with horror that there was a spot of blood on his shirt. He must have aggravated one of his injuries. He snatched up his jacket and put it on, trusting that would be enough to cover it until the end of the day.

Ben glanced back up at Sam, who was watching him with knowing eyes. Ben felt shame course through him, and hated it, hated Sam for putting him in this situation.

“Ben, if he’s hurting you…” Sam said slowly, not sure how to open this conversation.

Ben slung his bag over his shoulder, trying to hide the wince of pain as he aggravated his side. “No, it wasn’t even him this time, it was his…”

He cut himself off, horrified by how much he had just revealed.

Sam looked at him in sympathy, and Ben knew exactly what he was thinking. _This time?_

Ben looked at Sam and came inches from telling him everything, but the reminder of the promise he’d made to Hux stopped him. He didn’t want to deal with the consequences of disobeying Hux. He’d had enough of that right now.

“I have to go.” He said roughly, brushing by Sam and hurrying towards the door. He didn’t look back, not wanting to know what Sam’s face looked like behind him as he went.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hux experiencing one (1) singular emotion: Hmm.... Troubling...
> 
> Also, I have bent to fate and made a NSFW Twitter recently. If you are interested in such a thing, you can follow me over @uglyending19. Just fair warning that I don't post Star Wars over there, so don't go following hoping for that content. It's mostly just horny fanart and assorted fandoms I'm interested in tbh. I'm not a fandom-specific person, honestly.


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